1999 ILLINOIS SPORT FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES

April 14, 1999

SPRINGFIELD, IL - The Illinois Department of Public Health today announced its 1999 sport fish consumption advisories, which, for the first time, include recommendations regarding fish caught in the Ohio, South Fork Sangamon and Chicago rivers and the Cal-Sag Channel.

In addition, due to a new method of assessing the risks of eating sport fish, the advisories include revisions for several lakes. An advisory for fish taken from Clinton Lake in DeWitt County was removed due to improved conditions.

"The good news is that these advisories reflect a trend of less contamination in many types of fish taken from Illinois waters," said Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director. "By following the meal recommendations and the cooking and cleaning advice, fish can be an important part of a healthy diet. Fish are a good source of high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals and are low in cholesterol and saturated fats."

Introduced this year, the new way of assessing fish expands the number of eating categories from three to five and duplicates guidelines used since 1997 by Illinois and five other Great Lakes states for fish caught in Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes.

Do not eat, unlimited consumption and one meal a week advice remain. Added are new restricted categories for no more than one meal per month and no more than six meals per year.

Adding the two new levels to the restricted consumption category has resulted in fewer fish species in both the unlimited consumption and do not eat categories. For example, some fish previously considered too contaminated to eat and therefore in the do not eat category have been switched to the one meal per month or six meals per year groups. Conversely, others previously in the unlimited consumption category now fall into the one meal per week or one meal per month groups.

"This new advisory method provides the public with more information so they can better evaluate the possible health risks associated with eating some fish," Dr. Lumpkin said.

Sampling of fish from the Chicago River and Cal-Sag Channel was begun in 1998 because improving water quality has resulted in the return of viable fish populations in those waters. The Department advised that consumption of all sizes of carp taken from the Chicago River should be limited to six meals a year, while Cal Sag Channel carp less than 12 inches in length should only be eaten once a month and carp larger than 12 inches should not be eaten at all. The limited carp meal consumption advisories were due to contamination by PCBs and chlordane, a banned pesticide.

Carp were the first fish sampled from the Chicago River and Cal-Sag Channel for pesticides and industrial chemicals because they are bottom feeders and more likely to have contaminants in their flesh. In the future, state monitors plan to sample additional species from these waters.

The South Fork Sangamon River was sampled for the first time and carp greater than 18 inches in length were found to have levels of chlordane that placed them in the one meal per week category.

Advisories for fish sampled in the Ohio River were added for the first time and advisories for carp and channel catfish from the Mississippi River, dropped in 1994, were re-issued due to the new advisory approach.

Declining levels of chlordane in fish led to the removal of restrictions on eating bigmouth buffalo and channel catfish larger than 21 inches from Clinton Lake and to the easing of restrictions on carp and catfish caught in Lake Taylorville. Do not eat advisories for carp and channel catfish from Lake Taylorville were changed to unlimited consumption for carp and one meal a week for channel catfish larger than 15 inches.

Anglers who vary the type and source of sport fish consumed - opting for the younger, smaller fish; consuming leaner species such as bass, walleye and panfish over fatter species such as carp and catfish; and preparing and cooking fish in ways that reduce the amount of contaminants - can reduce 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 boiled 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.

The fish are collected by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and tested by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The Department of Public Health bases its consumption advisories on the IEPA test results.

This year's advisories are included in the Illinois 1999 Fishing Information Guide, which is available from DNR or from businesses that sell state fishing licenses. Information also may be found in IEPA's Guide to Eating Illinois Sport Fish 1999.

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