As part of its ongoing commitment to informing the public, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) updates fish consumption advisories  each year based on data collected the preceding fall by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM).

Fish consumption advisories are issued for specific bodies of water in Alabama, and specific species taken from those same areas. In reservoirs, advisories apply to waters as far as a boat can be taken upstream in a tributary — that is, to full pool elevations.

Last fall, ADEM, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) collected samples of specific fish species for analysis from various Alabama bodies of water (492 samples: 42 collection stations). ADPH assessed the analytical results to determine whether any of the tested contaminants in the fish may give rise to potential effects on human health.

The new and updated consumption advisories issued for the 42 bodies of water tested last fall can be found on the ADPH website at www.alabamapublichealth.gov/tox/fish-advisories.html.

Newly issued advisories are represented as the safe number of meals of that species of fish that can be eaten in a given period of time — such as meals per week, meals per month or an advisory to eat none of that species at all. A meal portion consists of 6 ounces of cooked fish or 8 ounces of raw fish.

When excess levels of a contaminant are found in multiple fish species sampled from a specific waterbody, a Do Not Eat Any advisory is issued. Consumption of any fish from a specific waterbody under a Do Not Eat Any advisory may place the consumer at risk for harm from the contaminant.

If a fish species is listed in the advisory, it is prudent to assume that similar species with similar feeding habits also should be consumed with caution. For example, if black crappie is listed and white crappie is not, because they are in the same family, all crappie would fall under the listed advisory.

A fish consumption advisory can be issued for one or more specific fish species within a body of water, or an advisory can be extended to include all fish species within that waterbody.  When excess levels of a contaminant are found in a specific species, an advisory is issued for that specific species. For example, if an advisory had been issued for largemouth bass and not for channel catfish, it would be advised that individuals should not eat largemouth bass — but that consumption of channel catfish is permissible without endangering human health.

The advice encompassed by ADPH consumption advisories is offered as guidance to individuals who wish to eat fish that they catch from various bodies of water throughout Alabama. No regulations ban the consumption of any of the fish caught within the state, nor is there a risk of an acute toxic episode that could result from consuming any of the fish containing the contaminants for which the state has conducted analyses.