Minnesota Fish Consumption Advisory: Be Ready to Throw Some Back

May 3, 2004 (Updated December 2007)
Suzanne Driessen
University of Minnesota Regional Extension Educator, Food Science
Email: driessen@umn.edu

Fishing is a favorite sport for many Minnesotans. But is it safe to eat all the fish you catch? The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) releases annual advisories regarding eating fish caught in Minnesota's lakes and rivers. These advisories are based upon the levels of mercury and PCBs found in fish from Minnesota's lakes and rivers. The fish consumption advice given by the MDH is intended to keep the mercury in your body below levels that damage the nervous system. Fish from nearly 1,000 lakes and streams in Minnesota have been tested for contaminants. Lake survey reports and site-specific recommendations can be found on the MDH website at:
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/fish/eating/sitespecific.html

Most contaminants in Minnesota fish are low but mercury remains a concern. All fish whether caught fresh or store bought contains some mercury. Mercury comes from natural and man-made sources and in the air which settles into lakes and rivers. It can then build up in fish. Mercury is found in the flesh of the fish and cannot be removed through cooking or cleaning. Young children, developing fetuses and breastfed babies are at greatest risk. Too much mercury may affect a child's behavior and lead to learning problems later in life.

Suzanne Driessen, University of Minnesota Extension Regional Extension Educator specializing in food safety, explains most fish are healthy to eat. Fish are an excellent source of low-fat protein and some contain additional health benefits that protects against heart disease. She stresses there is no need to stop eating fish but be ready to throw some back. You can't see, smell or taste the mercury or PCBs in fish. To reduce your health risk from contaminants:

• Keep smaller fish for eating. They are less contaminated than older, larger fish. They taste better too.


• Eat less contaminated fish, like perch and pan fish (sunfish and crappies), instead of walleye or northern pike. These species feed on other fish and have the highest amounts of mercury.


• Eat less of big fish at meals and eat them less often.


• Fat-soluble chemicals such as PCBs collect in fatty tissues. Remove skin and trim fat from fillets.


• Broil, bake or grill fish so fat drips away, reducing PCB levels. If you poach or deep-fry fish, some contaminants are removed. Discard broth and oil.


• Be aware that mercury is bound to fish flesh. There is no cooking or cleaning method which will reduce the amount of mercury in fish.

To see if you and your family need to make changes in your fish-eating habits, view the advisories at http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/fish/index.html. By following the fish consumptions advisories you will get the health benefits of eating fish as well as reducing your exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.

Peer reviewed by Deb Botzek-Linn, University of Minnesota Regional Extension Educator, Food Science, December 17, 2007.