vvEPA
United
Environmental Protection
Agency
of
430S
EPA-823-F-05-004
September 2005
Fact Sheet
2004 National Listing of Fish Advisories
Summary
Since 1993, EPA has made available to the public its compendium of information on locally issued fish advisories and safe
eating guidelines. This information is provided to EPA annually by states, U. S. territories, tribes, and local governments, and
EPA makes this information easily accessible to the public every summer on its Web site
(Mp://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish//). States, U.S. territories, tribes, and local governments issue fish consumption advisories
and safe eating guidelines to inform people about the recommended level of consumption for fish caught in local waters. Fish
advisories are advice to limit or avoid eating certain fish. Safe eating guidelines are designations of monitored waters where
there is no restriction on eating fish. The 2004 National Listing of Fish Advisories database shows that the number of safe
eating guidelines issued continues to rise rapidly. Although states, U. S. territories, tribes, and local governments also continue to
issue new fish advisories, most new fish advisories involve mercury and are a result of increased monitoring and assessment
rather than increased U.S. releases of mercury. In fact, U.S. mercury emissions have declined by more than 45% since 1990.
On March 15, 2005, EPA issued the Clean Air Mercury Rule to permanently cap and reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired
power plants.
The national listing is available on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/.
Background
The states, District of Columbia, U.S. territories, tribes, and local
governments (for simplicity, hereafter referred to as states)
have primary responsibility for protecting their residents from
the health risks of eating contaminated fish caught in local
waters. Forty-eight states, the District of Columbia, the U.S.
Territory of American Samoa, and three tribes have fish
consumption advisories in place. The states have developed
their own fish advisory programs over the years, and as a result
there is variability among states in the scope and extent of
monitoring, in how frequently previously tested waters are
sampled again, in how decisions are made to place waters
under advisory, and in the specific advice that is provided when
contamination is found in fish. Because of this variability, it is
difficult to draw national conclusions or to establish national
trends in fish advisories; however, through this Technical Fact
Sheet, EPA provides an annual summary offish advisory
information submitted by states.
A consumption advisory may include recommendations to limit
or avoid eating certain fish and water-dependent wildlife species
caught from specific waterbodies or, in some cases, from
specific waterbody types (e.g., all lakes) due to contamination
by one or more particular contaminants. An advisory may be
issued for the general population (i.e., general public), including
recreational and subsistence fishers, or it may be issued
specifically for sensitive subpopulations, such as pregnant
women, nursing mothers, and children. A consumption advisory
is not a regulation, but rather a voluntary recommendation
issued to help protect public health.
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 children
and pregnant women). 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 offish and shellfish from a designated waterbody.
In addition to the five major types of advisories, states are
increasingly issuing notices of statewide advisories and safe
eating guidelines. A statewide advisory is issued to warn the
public of the potential human health risks from widespread
chemical contamination of certain species offish from particular
types of waterbodies (e.g., lakes, rivers, and/or coastal waters)
within the state. An advisory for each waterbody name or type
of waterbody may be listed as one advisory, regardless of the
number of fish affected or the number of chemical contaminants
detected. In contrast, a safe eating guideline is issued to inform
the public that fish from specific waterbodies have been tested
for chemical contaminants, and the results have shown that
specific species of fish from these waters are safe to eat without
consumption restrictions. As states increase their monitoring
activities, the quantity of available information increases,
resulting in better public health protection.
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2004 of Fish
Site
The National Listing of Fish Advisories Web site provides
information on fish advisories issued by the federal government,
all 50 states, the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, and
three tribes. The 2004 National Listing of Fish Advisories Web
site lists 3,221 advisories in 48 states, the District of Columbia,
1 territory, and 3 tribes. The Web site includes
• Information on species and size offish or water-dependent
wildlife under advisory
• Chemical contaminants identified in the advisory
• Geographic location of the waterbody
• Lake acreage or river miles under advisory
• Population for whom the advisory was issued
• Meal size and meal frequency (number of meals per week
or month) by advisory
• Data on the concentrations of contaminants in fish tissue
for 48 states and the District of Columbia
• State and tribal contact information.
The Web site can generate national, regional, and state maps
that summarize advisory information. The Web site also
includes the names of each state contact, a phone number, a
fax number, and an e-mail address.
of 2004 of Fish
Advisories
In past years, EPA has reported fish advisories based on the
number of advisories in effect; however, this does not provide
an indication of the geographic extent of the advisory. For
example, a waterbody-specific advisory may be issued to cover
a single waterbody (e.g., a 20-acre lake), whereas a single
statewide lake advisory can cover all lake acres within the
state's jurisdiction (up to 12,787,200 acres in one state).
Because of the dramatic range in the geographic size of lake
acres and river miles affected by a single advisory, the number
of advisories does not tell the full story of the geographic extent
of waters subject to state advice to limit fish consumption. Thus,
EPA is providing information on the total lake acres and total
river miles where advisories are currently in effect.
The EPA 2004 National Listing of Fish Advisories indicates that
states reported that 395 new fish advisories were issued in
2004 and 65 previous advisories were reactivated, bringing the
total number of advisories in effect to 3,221 in 2004 (Figure 1).
Currently, the 3,221 advisories in the national listing represent
35% of the nation's total lake acreage and 24% of the nation's
total river miles. Approximately 14,285,062 lake acres and
839,441 river miles were under advisory in 2004. This
represents less than a 1% increase in the number of lake acres
and river miles that were under advisory in 2003, and the lowest
percentage increase since the National Listing of Fish
Advisories was created in 1993. The percentages of lake acres
Total Number of Fish Consumption Advisories - 2004
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and river miles under advisory in each state in 2004 are shown
in Figure 2. All (100%) of the Great Lakes and their connecting
waters were under advisory in 2004 (Table 1). The Great Lakes
and their connecting waters are considered separately from
other waters and are not included in the above calculations of
total lake acres or river miles.
Figure 2
Percentage of Lake Acres/River Miles
Currently Under Advisory
In 2004, approximately 35% of the nation's lake acres and 24%
of the nation's river miles were under fish consumption
advisories.
Table 1. Fish Advisories Issued for the Great Lakes
Great
Lakes
Lake
Superior
Lake
Michigan
Lake Huron
Lake Erie
Lake
Ontario
PCBs
*
•
«
•
«
Dioxins
«
•
«
•
«
Mercury
«
•
«
•
Chlordane
*
•
*
Mi rex
«
DDT
•
The number of lake acres and river miles under advisory is
related to the number of assessments of chemical contaminants
in fish and water-dependent wildlife tissues, as well as the
states' use of statewide advisories.
A statewide advisory is issued to warn the public of the potential
for contamination of specific species offish or water-dependent
wildlife (e.g., turtles or waterfowl) in certain types of waterbodies
(e.g., lakes, rivers, or coastal waters) across the state. Thirty-
one states had statewide advisories in effect in 2004, the same
number as in 2003 (Table 2). Indiana reported a new statewide
advisory for lakes in 2004.
In addition to the Great Lakes, other large lakes and estuaries
are currently under advisory for a variety of contaminants. For
example, the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay is under
advisory for the first time. The Potomac, James, Back,
Anacostia, Piankatank, and Patapsco rivers that connect to the
Chesapeake Bay continue to be under advisory. Baltimore
Harbor, which also connects to the Chesapeake Bay, is under
advisory for chlordane and PCS contamination in fish and blue
crabs.
Fifteen states have issued fish advisories for all of their coastal
waters (Table 2). Almost 65% of the coastline of the United
States (excluding Alaska, which has no advisories) currently is
under advisory. Based on coastal size estimates from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 92% of the
Atlantic coast and 100% of the Gulf coast were under advisory
in 2004 as was the case in 2003. The Atlantic coast 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. 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. Hawaii has a statewide advisory in affect for
mercury in several marine fish species.
Table 2. Summary of Statewide Advisories by Waterbody Type and
Year Issued
State
Alabama
Connecticut
Dist. of
Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
New
Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Vermont
Washington
Wisconsin
Lake
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Chlordane
Mi rex
DDT
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Issued
1996
1993
2002
2002
2004
2000
1994
2001
1996
1993
1999
2001
2003
1995
1995
1994
2001
1997
2001
2002
1995
2003
2000
River
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Chlordane
Mi rex
DDT
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Issued
1996
1993
2002
2002
1996
2000
1994
2004
1996
2001
2003
1995
1995
1994
2001
1997
2001
2002
1995
2003
2000
Coastal
Waters
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury*
Mercury
Dioxins
Mercury
PCBs
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Dioxin
PCBs
Dioxins
Cadmium
Dioxins
PCBs
Mercury
PCBs
Mercury
Mercury
Mercury
Issued
1996
1993
1993
2000
2003
1997
1994
1994
1998
1994
1993
1995
2000
1993
2001
1997
' Hawaii has a statewide advisory for mercury in marine fish.
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EPA has been encouraging states to issue safe eating
guidelines when providing advisory information. In addition to
issuing statewide advisories warning the public about chemical
contaminants in fish tissue, states are increasingly issuing safe
eating guidelines to inform the public that fish from specific
waterbodies or certain species offish have been tested for
chemical contaminants and have been shown to contain very
low levels of contaminants. By issuing safe eating guidelines,
the states are identifying monitored waters or species for the
public where no restrictions on eating fish apply, as well as
promoting enjoyment of recreational fishing.
In 1993, the first year that the National Listing of Fish Advisories
collected data on safe eating guidelines, there were only 20
such guidelines in effect. This number increased very slowly
until 2004, when Arkansas, Georgia, and Minnesota reported
827 new safe eating guidelines, increasing the total number of
safe eating guidelines to 1,213 in 2004. This 2004 increase
represented almost half of all safe eating guidelines issued
since 1993. Table 3 shows the trend in the issuance of safe
eating guidelines since 1993. As of December 31, 2004, 17
states have issued safe eating guidelines. No tribes have
issued safe eating guidelines. The largest numbers of such
guidelines have been issued by Minnesota (835), Georgia
(159), South Carolina (75), and Texas (45). Three states have
issued statewide guidelines. In 2001, Alaska issued a statewide
guideline to inform the public that all of Alaska's fish are safe to
eat without restrictions. In 2002, Wisconsin issued a safe eating
guideline for bluegill and other sunfish, yellow perch, white and
black crappie, and bullheads in all lakes statewide. Minnesota
issued a similar guideline for panfish in all lakes statewide.
There are a few waterbody-specific exceptions to the safe
eating guidelines, so consumers are advised to review
waterbody-specific information on state Web sites.
Table 3. Total Safe Eating Guidelines Issued Since 1993
Year Issued
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
New Advisories
20
12
35
10
2
25
44
7
20
164
47
827
Cumulative Advisories
20
32
67
77
79
104
148
155
175
339
386
1,213
In 2004, 2.4% of river miles and 18% of lake acres in the
continental United States had safe eating guidelines for at least
one fish species. Approximately 76,069 river miles and
5,047,921 lake acres had safe eating guidelines in 2004.
Between 2003 and 2004 the area for which there were safe
eating guidelines increased by 9,530 river miles and 3,808,605
lake acres. In addition, the number of these guidelines is likely
to grow as more states identify safe fishing waters or species
(e.g., sunfish and other panfish) that do not tend to accumulate
chemical contaminants in their tissues to the same extent as
long-lived predatory species (e.g., largemouth bass, walleye,
northern pike, catfish). These guidelines will help direct the
public toward making more informed decisions about the
waterbodies in which they fish, as well as healthier choices
about the species that they choose to eat.
Bioaccumulative
Bioaccumulative chemical contaminants accumulate in the
tissues of aquatic organisms at concentrations many times
higher than concentrations in the water. Bioaccumulative
chemical contaminants can persist for relatively long periods in
sediments, where bottom-dwelling organisms that are low in the
food chain can accumulate them and pass them up the food
chain to fish. Concentrations of bioaccumulative 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 bioaccumulative contaminants in their tissues a million times
higher than the concentrations found in the waterbodies.
Although there are advisories in the United States for 36
chemical contaminants, almost 98% of advisories in effect in
2004 involved five bioaccumulative chemical contaminants:
mercury, PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, and DDT. In this regard,
considerable progress has been made towards reducing the
occurrence of these contaminants in the environment. US
human-caused emissions of mercury to the air have declined
more than 45% since 1990 and EPA has issued regulations that
will result in further reduction of mercury emissions. For
example, on March 15, 2005, EPA issued the Clean Air Mercury
Rule (CAMR) to permanently cap and reduce mercury
emissions from coal-fired power plants. CAMR supplements
EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) to significantly reduce
emissions from coal-fired power plants. When fully
implemented, these rules are estimated to reduce utility
emissions of mercury nearly 70 percent. In addition, production
of PCBs for use ceased in 1977; chlordane was banned in
1988; DDT was banned in 1972; and known and quantifiable
industrial emissions of dioxin in the United States are estimated
to have been reduced by approximately 90% from 1987 levels.
Mercury
The total number of advisories for mercury increased from
2,362 in 2003 to 2,436 in 2004, with 44 states, 1 territory, and 2
tribes issuing mercury advisories. Seventy-six percent of all
advisories have been issued, at least in part, because of
mercury. The increase in the number of mercury advisories in
2004 can be attributed to the issuance of new mercury
advisories by 20 states and 1 tribe. Most of these new
advisories were issued by Florida and Minnesota. To date, 44
states, 2 tribes and 1 territory have issued mercury advisories.
Alaska, District of Columbia, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah,
and Wyoming did not issue advisories in either 2003 or 2004. In
2004, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe was the only state or
tribe to issue a mercury advisory for the first time.
Atotal of 13,183,748 lake acres and 765,399 river miles were
under advisory for mercury in 2004. This represents a decrease
of 1,467 river miles under advisory between 2003 and 2004.
The decrease is a result of changes in waterbody-specific
mercury advisories in several states. The total number of river
miles under advisory decreased in Minnesota, Michigan,
Louisiana, Nebraska, and Georgia, as well as other states. The
number of lake acres under advisory in 2004 represents an
increase of 114,758 lake acres between 2003 and 2004. The
increase is a result of changes to waterbody-specific advisories
in several states as well as the addition of Indiana's statewide
advisory for lakes.
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Currently, 21 states (Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont,
Washington, and Wisconsin) have issued statewide advisories
for mercury in freshwater lakes and/or rivers. Twelve states
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts,
Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island,
South Carolina, and Texas) have statewide advisories for
mercury in their coastal waters. Hawaii has a statewide advisory
for mercury in marine fish. The Micmac tribe of Maine has two
tribal statewide advisories in effect for mercury in freshwater
and marine fish (including lobster). In addition, the Cheyenne
River Sioux Tribe has one tribal statewide for mercury in rivers,
lakes, and stock ponds.
PCBs
In 2004, there were 873 advisories in place for PCBs, with 39
states, American Samoa, and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
reporting PCB advisories in 2004. This represents a decrease in
the number of PCB advisories since 2003 when there were 884
PCB advisories. Although 17 states added new advisories for
PCBs in 2004, 55 advisories were rescinded. There were
4,652,401 lake acres and 110,522 river miles under PCB
advisory in 2004. Four states (District of Columbia, Indiana,
Minnesota, and New York) issued statewide freshwater (river
and/or lake) advisories for PCBs, and seven other states
(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island) issued PCB advisories for
all of their coastal marine waters in 2004.
Chlordane
Many advisories for the pesticide chlordane have been
rescinded in recent years, primarily because all uses of chlor-
dane were banned in the United States in 1988 and the
compound continues to degrade in the environment. In 2003,
there were 89 chlordane advisories. In 2004, that number
decreased to 79 chlordane advisories. Chlordane advisories
covered 847,242 lake acres and 54,132 river miles in 2004.
Dioxins
In 2003 there were 90 existing dioxin advisories. In 2004,
Massachusetts issued 5 new dioxin advisories; Hawaii issued 1
new dioxin advisory; Maine added dioxin to 7 existing advisories
for other contaminants; and Michigan, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, Oregon, and Texas also added dioxin to existing
advisories, bringing the total number of dioxin advisories to 106.
A total of 22,757 lake acres and 2,335 river miles were under a
dioxin advisory in 2004. Although dioxins are one of the five
major contaminants that have resulted in the issuance of health
advisories, the geographic extent of dioxin advisories is
extremely limited compared to that for the other four major
contaminants. This is due in part to the limited monitoring of
dioxins resulting from the high cost of contaminant analysis.
Also, dioxins have been associated primarily with specific
locations near some pulp and paper plants that use a bleach
kraft process, as well as with other types of chemical
manufacturing facilities or incineration facilities.
DDT
Although the use of DDT, an organochlorine pesticide, has
been banned since 1975, there were 67 advisories in effect for
DDT (and its degradation products, DDE and ODD) in 2004. In
2003 there were 52 advisories in effect. There are currently
843,762 lake acres and 69,010 river miles under advisory for
DDT. California had the greatest number of DDT advisories in
effect in 2004 (14), followed by Maine (13) and Massachusetts
(10). During 2004, Massachusetts issued 10 new advisories for
DDT, and New York had an existing statewide advisory for
multiple contaminants, including DDT.
Other Contaminants
Although the five bioaccumulative contaminants account for
almost 98% of the total number of advisories, the remaining 2%
of all fish advisories are caused by other contaminants. These
include heavy metals (e.g., arsenic, cadmium, chromium,
copper, lead, selenium, and zinc) and organochlorine pesticides
(e.g., dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide, kepone, mirex, and
toxaphene), as well as a myriad of other chemical compounds,
including creosote, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
hexachlorobenzene, pentachlorophenol, and diethylphthalate.
In 2004, eight states issued new advisories for these
contaminants: Delaware (not specified), Georgia (toxaphene),
Indiana (not specified), Massachusetts (pesticides), Maryland
(chlorinated pesticides), New York (mirex), Ohio (mirex), and
Utah (arsenic). Washington also added diethylphthalate to an
existing advisory. In contrast, other states rescinded advisories
foraldrin, dichloroethane, gasoline, lindane, trichloroethane,
and vinyl chloride.
Although these other chemical contaminants represent only 2%
of the total number of advisories, the extent of the area under
advisory for these contaminants slightly exceeds the lake acres
and river miles under advisory for DDT. In 2004, 2,176,525 lake
acres and 102,938 river miles were under advisories for these
contaminants. The majority of lake acres and river miles under
advisory for other chemical contaminants are the result of a
statewide advisory in New York for multiple contaminants,
including mirex, a regional advisory in Mississippi for
toxaphene, and a statewide advisory in Maine for cadmium.
Wildlife
In addition to advisories for fish and shellfish, the National
Listing of Fish Advisories Web site also contains several water-
dependent wildlife advisories. In 2004, no new advisories were
issued for water-dependent wildlife. States have issued
advisories in previous years that are still in effect. Four states
have issued consumption advisories for turtles: Massachusetts
(1), Minnesota (6), New York (statewide advisory), and Rhode
Island (1). In addition, Massachusetts has an advisory for frogs;
New York has a statewide advisory for waterfowl; Utah has an
advisory for American coot and ducks; and Maine issued a
statewide advisory for cadmium in moose liver and kidneys.
Advice Concerning Mercury in Fish
In 2004, EPA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
issued advice for women who might become pregnant, women
who are pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children. The
national advice is not included in the statistics presented in this
fact sheet. The following advice is still in effect:
Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet. Fish
and shellfish contain high-quality protein and other essential
nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty
acids. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fish and
shellfish can contribute to heart health and children's proper
growth and development; therefore, women and young children
in particular should include fish or shellfish in their diets due to
the many nutritional benefits.
Nearly all fish and shellfish, however, contain traces of mercury.
For most people, the risk from mercury from eating fish and
shellfish is not a health concern. Yet some fish and shellfish
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contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby
or young child's developing nervous system. The risks from
mercury in fish and shellfish depend on the amount offish and
shellfish eaten and the levels of mercury in the fish and
shellfish. Therefore, the FDA and EPA are advising women who
may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and
young children to avoid some types offish and to only eat fish
and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
By following the three recommendations listed below for
selecting and eating fish or shellfish, women and young children
will receive the benefits of eating fish and shellfish and be
confident that they have reduced their exposure to the harmful
effects of mercury.
• Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, ortilefish
because they contain high levels of mercury.
• Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety
offish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
- Five of the most commonly consumed fish that are low in
mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock,
and catfish.
- Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna
has more mercury than canned light tuna. Eat up to 6
ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
• Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by
family and friends in local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas.
If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average
meal) per week offish caught from local waters, but do not
consume any other fish during that week.
Follow these same recommendations when including fish and
shellfish in a young child's diet, but serve smaller portions. More
information on the joint federal advisory is available at
www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish.
For Information
For more information on specific advisories within a state,
contact the appropriate state agency listed on the National
Listing of Fish Advisories Web site at www.epa.gov/
waterscience/fish. This is particularly important for advisories
that recommend that consumers restrict their consumption of
fish from certain waterbodies. For restricted consumption
advisories, state health departments provide specific
information on the meal size and meal frequency (number of
meals per week or month) that is considered safe to eat.
For more information on how to reduce exposure, consult EPA's
brochure What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and
Shellfish, 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 (4305T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Phone 202-566-0389
E-mail bigler.jeff@epa.gov
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