New Jersey’s 2009 fish consumption advisories
I came across the Fish Smart Eat Smart NJ website this morning. I don’t have the time today to really dig into it like I’d like to, but I wanted to make you aware of a document they offer on the site that is in PDF form. It’s called the 2009 Fish Consumption Advisories. You’ll need Adobe to open the document, but it’s a free download if you don’t have it.
The document has recommendations for how often it is safe to eat fish caught in various bodies of water around New Jersey and had separate recommendations for the general population and what they determine is the high risk population (infants, children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and women of childbearing age.)
Here’s the purpose of the advisory
Certain fish may contain toxic chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and mercury from the water they live in and the food they eat. Therefore, it is a good idea to follow a few precautions in consuming recreationally caught fish and crabs, particularly if you eat them often. The purpose of this booklet is to provide information to you on how to reduce your risk by avoiding or limiting consumption of certain fish, and to guide you in preparing the fish you eat from local waters in ways that reduce your exposure to PCBs, dioxins and mercury.
If you are concerned about the levels of toxins in the fish that you eat, this is a good resource. What this resource does not do is talk about the sustainability of the different fish in New Jersey – which ones are in danger of being overfished and which ones are not. It’s simply a guide for your health.
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