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Our weekly news column bringing the most current, non-biased health
information to the consumer. |
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June 30, 2009 |
A Publication of QVHD |
Eat Fish Safely Update 2009
By: V. Deborah Culligan, RN, MPH,
Deputy Director QVHD
Fishing season is open!
Fish is a good, low-fat, and economical source of protein. Many healthy
heart programs recommend eating more fish meals. However, fish tend to
take up chemicals such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl's (PCBs)
so that eating fish may affect your family's health, especially for
persons in high risk groups. You are in the high risk group if you are
pregnant women, a woman of child-bearing age, a nursing mother or a
child under the age of 6. All others are in the low risk group.
The CT Department of Public Health (CTDPH) publishes a fish advisory
brochure every fishing season. You may wish to get a copy, as it
contains very specific information about eating CT fish, important
information about CT fishing, and what fish from what water bodies are
safest (or should be avoided) by certain groups. It is a must for
fisherman and for those who eat a lot of seafood from the market or a
restaurant. Note: In April 2009, the DPH issued a precaution against
eating fish from the Fivemile River in Killingly, from the Warsaw Pond
dam downstream to the dam at the outlet of Ballouville Pond due to
mercury contamination.
Whether you catch fish or just eat them, there are ways to reduce your
risk of exposure to unhealthy chemicals. Some highlights of the brochure
are provided here:
Most trout from Connecticut rivers are safe to eat. However, there are
limits on trout from certain water bodies due to PCBs and on large trout
from lakes due to mercury. (For specific water bodies, please obtain the
brochure.) High risk groups should eat no more than one large trout
(over 15) per month and should eat no trout from the Housatonic River .
Snappers, which are bluefish under 13 inches, are not on the advisory
because they have very low contamination.
Most fish from Long Island Sound are safe to eat except for listed
restrictions on Striped Bass and Bluefish.
For fish from the store, follow these guidelines:
Persons in high risk groups can eat up to 2 fish meals per week from
either the market or from a restaurant. Choose from a variety of
species, including canned tuna. Persons in high risk groups should not
ever eat swordfish or shark. High risk groups should choose light tuna
because it has less mercury than white tuna. Lobster and shellfish are
generally low in contaminants, but the tomalley portion of lobster (the
green gland) can be high in contaminants and should not be eaten.
For all persons, choose from these fish more often: flounder, tilapia,
herring, trout, and salmon (wild) as they are especially low in
contaminants. Other fish that are relatively safe to eat and can be
consumed up to two meals a week by women, children and low risk persons
are: haddock, Atlantic mackerel, cod, light tuna (canned), shellfish
(oysters, shrimp, clams, scallops, lobster), perch, pollack and sole.
(Canned salmon is low in contaminants so it is a good choice. Fresh or
frozen salmon fillets are typically from farm-raised fish. These can
contain more contaminants than wild salmon so they should be eaten only
once per week.)
For all persons, choose these less often: halibut, tuna steak, white
tuna (canned), catfish (farm-raised), red snapper and salmon
(farm-raised.) Women and children should avoid swordfish, shark, King
Mackeral, striped bass and tilefish. Persons in low risk groups can
safely eat higher amounts of market seafood.
You will eat less PCBs if you remove skin and other fatty parts, and
if you cook fish on a rack (broil) so that fat can drip away from the
flesh. Remove and do not eat the organs, head, skin and the dark fatty
tissue along the backbone, lateral lines and belly.
Mercury is in the edible (fillet) portion of fish. Therefore, you
cannot lower your exposure to mercury by cooking or cleaning the fish.
It is important to remember that large fish tend to have the highest
levels of PCBs and mercury. Therefore, eat small fish (perch, small
trout, sunfish, etc.) instead of large fish whenever possible.
For your copy of the 2009 CT DPH Fish Advisory, District residents can
call QHVD, 248-4528 or request on line,
www.qvhd.org or go to the CTDPH website,
www.dph.state.ct.us (Choose
Environmental Health, then Fish Consumption)
| An Ounce of Prevention is a
publication of the Quinnipiack Valley Health District, located at
1151 Hartford Turnpike, North Haven, CT 06473. Telephone:
248-4528. An Ounce of Prevention is
written by V. Deborah Culligan. The articles are published in the following local newspapers, The Advisor &
Beth-Wood News.
The content is provided as health education and
information to help you make health decisions. It is not intended to
be legal or medical advice, or substitute for recommendations made
by your health care provider. Address all comments to the district
office. |
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