Multiple fish consumption advisories issued in Louisiana due to unacceptable levels of mercury in fish or shellfish

Michael Scheidt

3 years ago

WASHINGTON - JUNE 05: A youngster reaches out to touch a largemouth bass after she pulled it from the water during the "Fishing on the Mall," event to celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week June 5, 2006 in Washington, DC. More than 300 youngsters from Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia fished for bluegill, largemouth bass and yellow perch in the Constitution Gardens pond on the National Mall. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — The Louisiana Department of Health is alerting the public about six fish consumption advisories.

The advisories were issued because of “unacceptable levels of mercury” found in fish or shellfish.

The affected areas seen below include updates to already existing fish consumption advisories:

Amite River Drainage Basin

Includes Amite River from the Mississippi State Line to its confluence with Lake Maurepas, Colyell Creek, the Amite River Diversion Canal and the Petite Amite River

Women of childbearing age and children less than 7 years of age should consume no more than one meal per month* of bowfin (choupique, grinnel), freshwater drum (gaspergou), largemouth bass and warmouth combined from the advisory area; OR should consume no more than two meals per month of bigmouth buffalo, crappie (sac-au-lait), flathead catfish, redear sunfish and spotted bass combined from the advisory area.

Other adults and children 7 years of age and older: no advisory

Bayou Liberty (Includes Bayou Liberty only)

Women of childbearing age and children less than 7 years of age should not consume black crappie; AND should consume no more than one meal per month of bowfin (choupique, grinnel), flathead catfish, largemouth bass and white crappie combined from the advisory area; OR should consume no more than two meals per month of bluegill, freshwater drum (gaspergou), redear sunfish and white bass combined from the advisory area.

Other adults and children 7 years of age and older should consume no more than two meals per month of black crappie; OR no more than three meals per month of flathead catfish.

Blind River (Includes the Blind River only)

Women of childbearing age and children less than 7 years of age should not consume more than one meal per month of bowfin (choupique, grinnel), largemouth bass and freshwater drum (gaspergou) combined from the advisory area; OR should consume no more than two meals per month of any other species from the advisory area.

Other adults and children 7 years of age and older should consume no more than three meals per month of bowfin (choupique, grinnel) from the advisory area.

Tangipahoa River (Includes Tangipahoa River from the Louisiana/Mississippi state line to Lake Ponchartrain)

Women of childbearing age and children less than 7 years of age should consume no more than one meal per month of bowfin (choupique, grinnel), flathead catfish, freshwater drum (gaspergou), largemouth bass and spotted bass combined from the advisory area; OR should consume no more than two meals per month of all other species combined from the advisory area.