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June 3, 2009, 11:00 a.m.
Advisory on Striped Bass and Bluefish Consumption
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“Fortunately there are many other marine and freshwater species that consumers can eat more frequently and that have health benefits,” stated DES Commissioner Tom Burack. In New Hampshire, commonly eaten fish that are low in PCBs and other contaminants include winter flounder, Atlantic cod, haddock, and fluke.
DES’ advisory stems from a multi-state report finalized in 2008, which documented the PCB content of striped bass and bluefish from Maine to Georgia. The report also shows that these fish are not particularly good sources of beneficial fish oils. Compared to other fish, striped bass and bluefish have lower amounts of omega-3 fatty acids relative to the amount of PCBs they contain. For a copy of the report see
http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/eohp/fish/PCBSTBhome.htm
Similar advice is being issued by six other east coast states today including Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. These states are all instructing pregnant women and young children to not eat striped bass and large bluefish, and are advising the general public to moderate consumption of these fish. These states will continue to monitor PCB levels in coastal marine species and will modify the consumption advisory as needed in the future.
For more information contact Tom Niejadlik at (603) 271-6865 or visit www.des.nh.gov
and look on the A-Z list for Fish Consumption Guidelines.
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