FISH CONSUMPTION (HEALTH) ADVISORIES
(Information taken from the Washington Department of Health web site at http://www.doh.wa.gov/fish)

Fish consumption advisories are provided by the Washington Department of Health (DOH) to inform the public that elevated concentrations of chemical contaminants have been found in certain species of local fish in specific water bodies, and to advise the public on the amount of fish that can safely be eaten. The biggest culprit as far as fish consumption safety is methylmercury. This is the form of mercury that commonly concentrates in fish. It is found in many kinds of fish, especially in large predator fish and long lived fish. Because methylmercury binds to muscle tissue, it cannot be removed by cleaning or special preparation or cooking methods. Mercury contamination is a worldwide problem. It can come from many sources: from industrial pollution, especially mining, burning coal and other fossil fuels, and from burning household and industrial wastes. It occurs naturally in our environment in rocks, soils, water and air. Volcanos may also be a natural source of mercury in the environment. Contaminants other than mercury may be a problem for fish in certain areas of Washington State. But unlike mercury, the amounts of contaminants like PCBs and many pesticides are stored mostly in the fat of fish, and so preparing the fish in ways that reduce the fat can reduce them. Links on the DOH website (see above) lead to details on how to prepare fish.

Bass and Mercury in Washington
Freshwater bass (largemouth and smallmouth) are popular fish species in Washington, both for sport and consumption. A study of bass in 20 Washington lakes and rivers, however, found levels of mercury that are cause for concern. Consequently, DOH has issued a statewide advisory for bass consumption: Children under age six and women of child-bearing age should limit their consumption of these two species to no more than two meals per month. The assumed fish meal size for an adult is eight ounces; for children, proportionally smaller. For example, the meal size for a six-year old child weighing 45 pounds is 4 ounces. If you eat the maximum recommended amount of fish from an advisory area, do not eat any other fish meals that week or month. In addition to limiting consumption of these species, a good way to reduce mercury intake is to keep only smaller fish, as the larger fish generally contain more contaminants as a percentage of size. Washington’s statewide bass slot limit encourages retention of bass in the safest size range of 12 inches and under.

Specific Freshwater Advisories
In addition to the statewide mercury consumption advisory, specific advisories have been issued for several lakes and streams, including: Lake Chelan (lake trout), Lake Roosevelt (walleye), Lake Whatcom (smallmouth bass and yellow perch), Lake Washington (cutthroat trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch and northern pikeminnow), Spokane River (all species), Yakima River (carp, channel catfish, mountain whitefish, northern pikeminnow, and bridgelip and largescale sucker), and Walla Walla River (carp and northern pikemonnow). More information on these advisories can be found at the DOH website, or in the County-by-County descriptions for these sites.

Specific Saltwater Advisories
Shellfish and marine fish advisories have been issued for all or portions of the following waters (listed alphabetically):

• Budd Inlet (Thurston Co.): no shellfish consumption, all groups (men, women, children) and all ages, due to a variety of contaminants.
  
• Commencement Bay (Pierce Co.): no bottom fish, crab or shellfish consumption, all groups and all ages, due to a variety of contaminants.Duwamish River (King Co.): (1) no crab, resident fish or shellfish consumption, all groups and all ages, due to a variety of nasty contaminants.
  
• Dyes Inlet (Kitsap Co.): no bottom fish, crab or shellfish consumption, all groups and all ages, due to Naval ordnance contamination.
  
• Eagle Harbor (Kitsap Co.): no bottom fish, crab or shellfish consumption, all groups and all ages, due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and mercury contamination.
  
• Indian Island, north end (Jefferson Co.): no shellfish consumption, all groups and all ages, due to pesticide and metal contamination.
  
• Manchester State Park (Kitsap Co.): no shellfish consumption, all groups and all ages, due to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and dioxin contamination.
  
• Puget Sound waters within King County, excluding Vashon Island: bottom fish, crab, shellfish and seaweed may be unsafe to eat for all groups and all ages, particularly where warning signs are posted, due to pollution and historical industrial discharges. Especially do not eat the viscera (insides) of these animals.
  
• Sinclair Inlet (Kitsap Co.): no bottom fish, crab or any rockfish consumption, all groups and all ages, due to mercury and PAH contamination.

The advisories listed above are current as of March 1, 2006. For the most up-to-date information, check the DOH website at http://www.doh.wa.gov/fish or call the DOH Office of Environmental Health Assessments in Olympia at (360) 236-3200 or (877) 485-7316.