SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
4305
EPA-823-F-01-010
April 2001
Fact Sheet
Update: National Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories
Summary
The 2000 National Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories is now available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
States, tribes, and territories report that the number offish consumption advisories issued in 2000 rose by 187, a 7% increase over
1999. The total number of advisories in the United States increased for four major contaminantsmercury, PCBs, dioxins, and
DDTbut remained the same for chlordane. This is the third year in which the number of advisories issued for chlordane has
declined or remained constant. The increase in advisories generally reflects an increase in the number of assessments performed and
the improved quality of monitoring and data collection methods. The number of acres of lakes under advisory increased from 20.4%
in 1999 to 23% in 2000, a total of 63,288 lakes, while the number of river miles under advisory increased from 6.8% in 1999 to
9.3% in 2000. The survey showed that 100% of the Great Lakes and their connecting waters and 71% of coastal waters of the
contiguous 48 states were under advisory in 2000.
The national listing is available on the Internet at: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/
Background
The states, territories, and Native American tribes (hereafter
referred to as states) have primary responsibility for protect-
ing residents from the health risks of eating contaminated
fish and wildlife. If high concentrations of chemicals, such
as mercury or PCBs, are found in local fish and wildlife,
then a state may issue a consumption advisory for the
general population, including recreational and subsistence
fishers, as well as for sensitive subpopulations (such as
pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children). A
consumption advisory may include recommendations to
limit or avoid eating certain fish and wildlife species caught
from specific waterbodies or, in some cases, from specific
waterbody types (e.g., all lakes). Similarly, in Canada, the
provinces and territories have primary responsibility for
issuing fish consumption advisories for their residents.
States typically issue five major types of advisories and
bans to protect both the general population and specific
subpopulations.
No-consumption advisory for the general population
- Issued when levels of chemical contamination in fish
or wildlife pose a health risk to the general public. The
general population is advised to avoid eating certain
types of locally caught fish or wildlife.
No-consumption advisory for sensitive subpopulations
- Issued when contaminant levels in fish or wildlife pose
a health risk to sensitive subpopulations (such as pregnant
women and children). Sensitive subpopulations are
advised to avoid eating certain types of locally caught fish
or wildlife.
Restricted consumption advisory for the general
population - Issued when contaminant levels in fish or
wildlife may pose a health risk if too much fish or wildlife
is consumed. The general population is advised to limit
eating certain types of locally caught fish or wildlife.
Restricted consumption advisory for sensitive sub-
populations - Issued when contaminant levels in fish or
wildlife may pose a health risk if too much fish or wildlife
is consumed. Sensitive subpopulations are advised to limit
eating certain types of locally caught fish or wildlife.
Commercial Fishing Ban - Issued when high levels of
contamination are found in fish caught for commercial
purposes. These bans prohibit the commercial harvest
and sale of fish, shellfish, and/or wildlife species from a
designated waterbody.
As shown in Table 1, advisories of all types increased in
number from 1993 to 2000.
Table 1. U.S. Advisories Issued from 1993 to 2000 by Type
No Consumption - General Population
No Consumption - Sensitive Subpopulation
Restricted Consumption - General Population
Restricted Consumption - Sensitive Subpopulation
Commercial Fishing Ban
1993
503
555
993
689
30
1994
462
720
1,182
900
30
1995
463
778
1,372
1,042
55
1996
563
1,022
1,763
1,370
50
1997
545
1,119
1,843
1,450
52
1998
1
2
1
532
,211
,062
,595
50
1999
1
2
1
570
,285
,213
,630
50
2000
1
2
1
663
,417
,475
,802
51
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2000 National Listing of Fish and Wildlife
Advisories Web Site
The 2000 National Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories
web site lists 2,838 advisories in 48 states, the District of
Columbia, and the U.S. Territory of American Samoa. The
web site includes
Information on species and size of fish or wildlife under
advisory
Contaminants identified in the advisory
Geographic location
Lake acreage or river miles under advisory
Population for whom the advisory was issued
Fish tissue residue data
State and tribal contact information.
Some of the advisories represent statewide advisories for
certain types of waterbodies (e.g., lakes, rivers, and/or
coastal waters). An advisory may represent one waterbody
or one type of waterbody within a state's jurisdiction. State-
wide advisories are counted as one advisory. An advisory
for each waterbody name or type of waterbody may be
listed as one advisory regardless of the number of fish
or wildlife species affected or the number of chemical
contaminants detected.
The web site can generate national, regional, and state
maps that summarize advisory information. A new feature
of the web site this year is fish tissue residue data for those
waterbodies under advisory in 44 states. Also included on
the web site are the names of each state and tribal contact,
a phone number, FAX number, and e-mail address.
Comparable advisory information (excluding tissue residue
data) and contact information for 1997 are provided for
each Canadian province or territory.
Advisory Trends
The number of advisories in the United States reported in
2000 (2,838) represents a 7% increase from the number
reported in 1999 (2,651) and a 124% increase from the
number of advisories issued since 1993 (1,266 advisories).
Figure 1 shows the number of advisories currently in effect
for each state and the number of new advisories issued
since 1999. The increase in advisories issued by the states
generally reflects an increase in the number of assessments
of chemical contaminants in fish and wildlife tissues. These
Figure 1
Total Number of Fish Consumption Advisories - 2000
(Change from 1999)
CT:
NH = 8(+3)
MA= 107(0)
Rl = 3(+1)
= 13(0)
NJ = 49(0)
DE = 20(0)
MD = 4(0)
DC = 1(0)0
3
(0)
D Advisories exist for specific waterbodies only
AS = 1 0) D VI = 0 0) D E3 Statewide lakes only advisory included in count
GU = 0 0) n PR = 0 0) n Q Statewide rivers only advisory included in count
E3 Statewide rivers and lakes advisory included in count
Statewide coastal advisory included in count
D No advisories
1999 Total = 2,651
Note: A statewide advisory is issued to warn the public of the potential for widespread contamination 2000 Total = 2,838
of specific species in certain types of waterbodies. State advisory data should not be used for
characterizing geographic distribution of chemical contaminants or for making interstate comparisons.
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additional assessments were conducted as a result of
increased awareness of health risks associated with eating
chemically contaminated fish and wildlife. Although
approximately 80% of advisories have been issued at least
in part because of mercury, other contaminants are likely
present in many of these advisory locations.
A statewide advisory is issued to warn the public of the
potential for widespread contamination of specific species
of fish or wildlife (e.g., moose or waterfowl) in certain types
of waterbodies (e.g., lakes, rivers and streams, or coastal
waters). Twenty-three states currently have statewide advis-
ories (see Table 2). Five states added statewide advisories in
2000: Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina each
added an advisory for king mackerel in all coastal waters.
Wisconsin issued a mercury advisory for all lakes, and
Kentucky issued a mercury advisory for all rivers and lakes.
The 2,838 advisories in the national listing represent
approximately 23% of the Nation's total lake acreage and
9.3% of the Nation's total river miles. Approximately
63,288 lakes and 325,500 miles of river are under advisory.
In addition, 100% of the Great Lakes and their connecting
^| Table 3. Fish Advisories Issued for the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
RGBs
Dioxins
Mercury
Chlordane
Lake Superior
Lake Michigan
Lake Huron
Lake Erie
Lake Ontario
Table 2. Summary of Statewide Advisories by Waterbody Type
State
Alabama
Connecticut
Dist. of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
Wisconsin
Lake
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Chlordane
Mi rex
DDT
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
River
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Chlordane
Mi rex
DDT
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Coastal Waters
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Dioxins
Mercury
PCBs
PCBs
Mercury
PCBs
PCBs
Cadmium
Dioxins
Cadmium
Dioxins
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
waters are also under advisory (see Table 3). The Great
Lakes waters are considered separately from other lakes,
and their connecting waters are considered separately from
other river miles. The percentages of lake acres and river
miles in each state currently under a fish advisory are
shown in Figures 2 and 3, respectively.
In addition to the Great Lakes, many other Great Waters
of the United States are currently under fish consumption
advisories for various pollutants. The Great Waters include
not only the Great Lakes but also Lake Champlain (PCBs
and mercury), the Chesapeake Bay, 20 National Estuary
Program (NEP) sites, and 14 National Estuarine Research
Reserve System (NERRS) sites (see Table 4). Although the
Chesapeake Bay is not under any advisories, the Potomac,
James, Black, and Anacostia rivers, which connect to it, are
all under advisories. All of these rivers, with the exception
of the James River (which is under advisory for kepone) are
under chlordane advisories. The Anacostia River is also
listed for PCBs, and the Potomac River is listed for PCBs
and dioxins in addition to chlordane. Baltimore Harbor,
which also connects to the Chesapeake, is under advisory
for chlordane contamination in fish tissue.
A number of the major estuaries listed in the NEP and/or
designated as NERRS sites are under fish and/or shellfish
Figure 2.
Percentage of Lake Acres
Currently Under Advisory
IGOGlNH) -
looorvn
PR 00
a VI 0.0
Fourteen states have 100% of their lake acres under fish advisories
(including those with statewide advisories), 10% to 50% of lake acres
in 6 states are under advisories, 20 states have <\ 0% of their lake acres
under advisories, and 15 states have no lake acres under advisories.
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Figure 3.
Percentage of River Miles
Currently Under Advisory
-( i i jiooo, l000^'1"T-vfS 1000 (
, PR 0.0
--VI 00
Twelve states have 100% of their river miles under fish advisories
(states with statewide advisories), 28 states have <10% of their river
miles under advisories, and 15 states have no river miles under
advisories.
advisories for a range of chemical contaminants (see Table
4). Sixty-five percent of the total number of NEP, NERRS,
and combined sites are under fish consumption advisories.
There are 17 sites that have no current fish consumption
advisories.
Several states have issued fish advisories for all of their
coastal waters. Using coastal mileages calculated by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an
estimated 71 % of the coastline of the contiguous 48 states
currently is under advisory. This includes 92% of the Atlan-
tic Coast and 100% of the Gulf Coast. No Pacific Coast
state has issued a statewide advisory for any of its coastal
waters, although several local areas along the Pacific Coast
are under advisory. The Atlantic coastal advisories have
been issued for a wide variety of chemical contaminants
including mercury, PCBs, dioxins, and cadmium. All of
the Gulf Coast advisories have been issued for mercury,
although other contaminants may also be present.
Table 4. Fish Consumption Advisories Active for NEP and NERRS Sites - 2000
Waterbody
Casco Bay, ME*
Wells, ME#
Great Bay, NH #
Great Bay, Little Bay,
and Hampton Harbor, NH *
Massachusetts Bay, MA *
Buzzards Bay, MA *
Waquoit Bay, MA #
Narragansett, Rl * #
Long Island Sound, NY/CT *
Peconic Bay, NY *
Hudson River, NY #
New York/New Jersey Harbor *
Barnegat Bay, NJ *
Jacques Cousteau-Great Bay
and Mullica River, NJ #
Delaware Estuary, DE/NJ/PA * #
Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds, NC *
North Carolina sites #
Ashepoo-Combahee-
Edisto Basin, SC #
North Inlet/Winjah Bay, SC #
Sapelo Island, GA #
Indian River Lagoon, FL *
Charlotte Harbor, FL *
Rookery Bay, Fl #
Sarasota Bay, FL *
Tampa Bay, FL *
Apalachicola Bay, FL #
Mobile Bay, AL *
Weeks Bay, AL #
Galveston Bay, TX *
Puget Sound, WA *
Columbia River, OR/WA *
San Francisco Bay, CA *
PCBs
Dioxins
Mercury
Cadmium
Chlordane
2
Others
01,4
3
4
5
1 Mirex.
2 For waterfowl.
3 Specific embayments of Puget Sound
are listed for the following pollutants;
creosote, pentachlorophenol, volatile
organic compounds (VOCs), tetrachloro-
ethylene, arsenic, metals (unspecified),
vinyl chloride, polyaromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs), polynuclear aromatics, and
pesticides (unspecified).
4 DDT.
5 DDT, dieldrin, other unspecified
pesticides.
* NEP site.
#NERRS site.
Source: EPA 2000 National Listing of Fish
and Wildlife Advisories (NLFWA)
Database (Advisories current through
December 2000).
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Bloaccumulatlve Pollutants
Although there are advisories in the United States for a
total of 38 chemical contaminants, most advisories have
involved five primary contaminants: mercury, PCBs, dioxin,
DDT, and chlordane. These chemical contaminants
accumulate in the tissues of aquatic organisms at concen-
trations many times higher than concentrations in the
water. These chemical contaminants also persist for rela-
tively long periods in sediments where bottom-dwelling
animals can accumulate and pass them up the food chain
to fish.
Concentrations of these contaminants in the tissues of
aquatic organisms may increase at each level of the food
chain. As a result, top predators in a food chain, such as
largemouth bass or walleye, may have concentrations of
these chemicals in their tissues that may be a million times
higher than the concentrations in the water. Mercury,
PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, and DDT (and its degradation
products, DDE and ODD) were at least partly responsible
for 99% of all fish consumption advisories in effect in 2000.
(See Figure 4.)
Figure 4
Trends in Number of Advisories
Issued for Various Pollutants
Mercury
Chlordane
Dioxins
n
1
DDT 1
L
Others g
2000
1999
B 1998
01997
01996
D1995
D1994
D1993
ooooooooooooo
oooooooooooo
CM *t tD tO O_ f^ 1f_ «*»_ 00_ O_ SM_ *_
T-" T-" T-" T-" T-" M* Of Of
Number of Advisories
Mercury
Advisories for mercury increased 8% from 1999 to 2000
(2,073 to 2,242) and increased 149% from 1993 to 2000
(899 to 2,242). The number of states that have issued
mercury advisories has risen steadily from 27 in 1993 to
41 in 2000. This can be attributed to a net increase of
mercury advisories in 19 states. Six states account for the
majority (80%) of this increase: Minnesota (+87), Indiana
(+12), Wisconsin (+11), Georgia (+10), Louisiana (+8),
and Ohio (+8). It should also be noted that 13 states
(Connecticut, Kentucky, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North
Carolina, Ohio, Vermont, and Wisconsin) have issued
statewide advisories for mercury in freshwater lakes and/or
rivers. Both Kentucky and Wisconsin issued a statewide
advisory for mercury in 2000. Another nine states
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas) have statewide
advisories for mercury in their coastal waters. In 2000,
Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina each issued a
statewide advisory for king mackerel in coastal waters.
PCBs
Advisories for PCBs increased 3% from 1999 to 2000 (from
703 to 726) and increased 128% from 1993 to 2000 (319
to 726). The number of states that have issued PCB advis-
ories remained at 38 (including American Samoa) in 2000,
up from 31 states in 1993 and 36 states in 1998. The
majority (87%) of the net gain in PCB advisories in 2000
came from 4 states: Indiana (+10), Ohio (+4), Michigan
(+4), and Maine (+2). To date, 75% of the PCB advisories
in effect have been issued by 9 states: Indiana (138),
Michigan (109), Minnesota (84), Wisconsin (56), New York
(48), Ohio (38), Pennsylvania (28), Illinois (22), and
Georgia (21). Three states (Indiana, New York, and District
of Columbia) have issued statewide freshwater advisories
(river and/or lake) advisories for PCBs. Six other states
(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New
jersey, and Rhode Island) have issued PCB advisories for all
of their coastal marine waters.
Other Pollutants
The total number of advisories for DDT (and its degrada-
tion products, DDE and ODD) increased from 40 in 1999
to 44 in 2000. California had the most DDT advisories
active in 2000 (13), followed by New York (4) and Texas
(4). Maine added 3 DDT advisories in 2000. The total
number of advisories for dioxins increased by 2 (3%) from
1999 to 76 in 2000, following an increase of 25% the year
before. West Virginia issued two new dioxin advisories in
2000. Maine issued one, and North Carolina rescinded
one. Dioxins are one of several chemical contaminants
for which advisories have recently been rescinded, in
part because pulp and paper mills have changed their
processes. Many advisories for the pesticide chlordane have
also been rescinded in recent years. AH uses of chlordane
in the United States were banned in 1988, and the
compound continues to be degraded in the environment.
The number of chlordane advisories remained the same in
2000 (101) after a 3% decrease from 1998 to 1999 and a
14% decrease from 1997 to 1998.
Wildlife Advisories
In addition to advisories for fish and shellfish, the web site
also contains several wildlife advisories. Four states have
issued consumption advisories for turtles: Arizona (3),
Massachusetts (1), Minnesota (8), and New York (statewide
advisory). One state (Massachusetts) has an advisory for
frogs. New York has a statewide advisory for waterfowl
(including mergansers). Arkansas has an advisory for wood
ducks. Utah has an advisory for American coot and ducks.
Maine issued a statewide advisory for moose liver and
kidneys due to cadmium.
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Summary of Canadian Advisories
No new information was collected about fish advisories in
Canada for 2000. Beginning in 1996, EPA contacted health
and environmental officials in the 12 Canadian provinces
and territories to obtain narrative and geographic informa-
tion system (CIS) information on advisories throughout
Canada. Figure 5 shows the number of waterbodies under
advisory in 1997 for each of the Canadian provinces. The
number of Canadian advisories in effect in 1997 was
2,625. Provincewide advisories for mercury were also in
effect in 1997 for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. With
respect to chemical contaminants, advisories in Canada
have been issued for a total of five bioaccumulative chemi-
cal contaminants including mercury (2,572), PCBs (59),
dioxins/furans (68), toxaphene (16), and mirex (9). More
than 97% of all Canadian advisories have been issued for
mercury.
Figure 5.
Total Number of Fish Advisories in Effect in Canada
33
/ 297 I 10
*Provincewide advisories in effect in 1997 for Nova Scotia
(all rivers and lakes) and New Brunswick (all lakes).
For More Information
For more information on specific advisories within a state,
contact the appropriate state agency listed on the National
Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories web site at www.epa.
gov/watersdence/fish/listing.html. This is particularly impor-
tant for advisories that recommend consumers restrict their
consumption of fish from certain waterbodies. State health
departments provide more specific information for restrict-
ed consumption advisories on the appropriate meal size
and meal frequency (number of meals per week or month)
that is considered safe to eat.
The data available on the national listing web site may also
be used to assist the public in making informed decisions
about the waterbodies where they choose to fish or harvest
wildlife, and the species and size of fish they choose to eat.
The National Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories web site
includes advisory information for all states through Decem-
ber 2000. For some states, the web site includes data on
advisories issued in 2001.
For more information on how to properly clean fish to
reduce exposure, consult EPA's brochure "Should 1 Eat the
Fish 1 Catch," available in several languages on EPA's fish
advisory web site: www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish.
For more information on the National Fish and Wildlife
Contamination Program, contact:
Jeff Bigler
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Science and Technology
National Fish and Wildlife Contamination
Program (4305)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
Phone 202-260-7301
e-mail big!er.jeff@epa.gov.
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