An explanation is necessary concerning precautions in regard to consuming fish. With 165 species of fish and 7,800 lakes, ponds and 52,000 miles of rivers, New York supports one of the richest fish faunas in the country. Chautauqua Lake is considered a first-class bass, walleye and muskellunge fishing destination. Nutritionists tell the public that eating fish is important because fish contain lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are heart healthy and are low in saturated fat. Unfortunately, New York state waterbodies all contain chemical pollutants that are absorbed by sportfish. Consequently, many sportfish caught by recreational anglers in New York waters can potentially be hazardous to one’s health.

Every year the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) collects and analyzes 2,000 fish from over 50 water bodies. Fish commonly caught and eaten by sport anglers are tested for pollutants, like mercury, PCBs and pesticides, mirex/dioxin. This data is reviewed by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) which issues advisories regarding which specific fish species should have reduced monthly consumption or “don’t eat” warnings. This information is available in the booklet Health Advice on Eating Sportfish and Game available online at health.ny.gov/fish.

I reviewed this advisory and was shocked and disappointed to discover almost every fish species tested had advisories.

Harmful pollutants come in three categories. First, mercury released from coal-burning power plants settles in waterbodies where microorganisms convert harmless mercury to methylmercury, a toxic chemical. Plants absorb methylmercury in the water. Small fish consume mercury containing plants then larger predator fish eat the smaller fish further concentrating methylmercury in muscle tissue. Methylmercury is harmful to developing brain tissue so methylmercury ingestion should be avoided by pregnant women, infants and children under 15. Methylmercury ingested by humans eating fish attaches to red blood cells, crosses the placenta into an unborn baby’s blood and then to the brain. The saving grace is methylmercury can be eliminated over several months if no additional contaminated fish are consumed. Ideally, elimination of mercury from the environment could solve the problem.

The second pollutant, PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) was used in electrical equipment because they were inflammable and good insulators. Manufacture was banned in 1979 but PCBs from old discarded equipment leached into lakes and streams. PCBs can damage reproductive function and accumulate in the body, altering brain development, which shows up years later as learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder or behavioral problems.

The third group of pollutants are, “the dirty dozen,” agriculture pesticides which also accumulate and concentrate in larger fish which eat small fish. This group of chemicals cause hormone abnormalities and have caused cancer in laboratory animals. Interestingly, the book, “What to Eat” (2006) by Marion Nestle stresses the fact that commercially caught fish such as salmon contain methylmercury. As a predator they consume smaller contaminated fish. One might think farm-raised salmon should have low mercury levels since they are fed manmade pellets. In reality, farm-raised salmon are also fed fish meal and fish oil containing more methylmercury than the fish eaten by salmon in the wild.

Eating fish can still be beneficial if specific practices are followed for healthy eating. Up to four, half-pound meals of New York sportfish can be consumed over a month. Chautauqua Lake falls in this advisory category. Some waterbodies have such high levels of pollutants that infants, children under 15 and women under 50 should avoid any fish from these sites. If one eats fewer pike, bass, walleye or yellow perch over 10 inches, mercury exposure is lessened. Choose smaller fish to eat since they have lower contamination levels. Since PCB and pesticides accumulate in the fat of fish, trimming fat along the back, belly and side of a fillet before cooking is recommended. Grilling, baking or broiling on a rack allows fat and pollutants to drip away. Consider catch-and-release fishing, which may leave one hungry but healthy.

I hope anglers, including myself, will still find pleasure catching sportfish even knowing the dismal news of health hazards from eating fish.