May 12, 2000

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health today announced its 2000 consumption advisories for sport fish caught in Illinois waters.

Changes to the annual list include the addition of different varieties of fish collected and tested from the Chicago River and its branches, the Calumet River system and the Illinois River, and for the first time, recommendations for fish caught in the Kaskaskia River, Rock River and Wabash River.

“To ensure that Illinoisans and others who enjoy eating the state’s sport fish are protected from unacceptable levels of chemicals, the state annually monitors fish in its rivers, lakes and streams,” said Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director. “Fish are a good source of high- quality protein, vitamins and minerals and are low in cholesterol and saturated fats. By following the meal recommendations included in the advisories and the cooking and cleaning advice, sport fish can be an important part of a healthy diet.”

The advisory provides eating advice in five categories – unlimited consumption, one meal a week, no more than one meal per month, no more than six meals a year and do not eat.

The expanded testing of fish in the Chicago and Calumet river systems followed requests to better evaluate recovering fish populations in those waters. Sampling of fish from these waters began in 1997 because improved water quality has resulted in the return of viable fish populations.

In addition to the consumption advisories for carp that were issued in 1999, this year’s recommendations cover black bass, sunfish and yellow bass in the Calumet River, Little Calumet River and Cal-Sag Channel, and largemouth bass and sunfish in the Chicago River and its branches.

In the Calumet, Little Calumet River and Cal-Sag Channel, all sizes of black bass should be limited to no more than one meal a month, all sizes of sunfish to just one meal a week, and yellow bass less than 8 inches in length to one meal a month and larger than 8 inches to six meals a year. Recommendations for carp caught in the channel remain the same: those less than 12 inches in length should be eaten once a month and carp larger than 12 inches should not be eaten at all.

The advisory for the Chicago River and its branches – north and south, North Shore Channel, and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal – recommends largemouth bass of all sizes be eaten no more than once a month and all sizes of sunfish be limited to no more than one meal a week. Consumption recommendations for carp changed from all sizes to be eaten only six meals a year to those less than 12 inches to be eaten six meals a year and those larger than 12 inches to not be consumed at all.

The limited consumption advisories for carp caught in the Chicago and Calumet river systems are due to contamination by PCBs and chlordane, a banned pesticide. The advisories for the other fish – black bass, sunfish, largemouth bass and yellow bass -- are related to PCB contamination.

The new advisories for the Kaskaskia River (above Lake Shelbyville), Rock River and Wabash River are for carp. In the Kaskaskia, carp larger than 18 inches in length should be limited to one meal a week, all size carp taken from the Rock River should only be eaten once a month, and Wabash River carp less than 20 inches should be eaten no more than one meal a week and those larger than 20 inches should be limited to no more than one meal a month. The limited carp consumption advisories were due to PCB contamination.

Other changes to the advisory this year include the addition of smallmouth bass to the fish sampled from the Illinois River, Marseilles to the headwaters, and a change in the consumption recommendation for channel catfish caught in the Ohio River. All sizes of the smallmouth bass in that section of the Illinois River should only be eaten once a month. A recommendation last year of limiting consumption of channel catfish larger than 15 inches taken from the Ohio River to one meal a month was changed this year to one meal a week due to improved PCB samples.

Anglers who vary the type and source of sport fish consumed – opting for the younger, smaller fish, and consuming leaner species such as bass, walleye and panfish over fatter species such as carp and catfish – and who prepare and cook fish in ways that reduce the amount of contaminants can limit their exposure to harmful substances that may be found in fish.

There are several ways to reduce contaminants in edible portions of fish:

• Before cooking, remove the skin from the fillet and cut away any fatty tissue from the belly and dorsal areas.
• Broil, bake, barbecue or cook in a way that allows any fat to drip away.
• Discard fat drippings or broth from broiled or poached fish. Do not use in other dishes.

While there is no known immediate health threat from eating contaminated fish from any Illinois body of water, there are concerns about the effects of long-term, low-level exposure to the pesticides and chemicals found in the fish flesh listed in the advisories. For two of the chemicals that have caused advisories to be issued in Illinois – PCBs and chlordane – there is evidence that high doses can cause adverse health conditions in animals and humans, including cancer, liver damage, and reproductive and developmental damage. Mercury, the other contaminant of concern in Illinois fish, can cause reproductive damage and have adverse effects on the central nervous system, including developmental delays.

The advisories for these chemicals are based primarily on protecting women of childbearing age, fetuses and children younger than 6 years of age. They may be overprotective for women beyond childbearing age and adult men.

The Illinois Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program screens fish samples from about 50 bodies of water each year for contamination from 13 banned pesticides and industrial chemicals. The program is a joint effort of the departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Nuclear Safety and Public Health, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

The fish are collected by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and tested by IEPA. The Department of Public Health bases its consumption advisories on the IEPA test results. This year’s advisories are included in Illinois 2000 Fishing Information, which is available from DNR or from businesses that sell state fishing licenses.

*Listed due to mercury contamination

Illinois Department of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments