*RMA =
Recreational Marine Area
Puget
Sound Fish Consumption Advice
October 2006 (pdf
243 mb fact sheet)
Human Health
Evaluation of Contaminants in Puget Sound Fish
October 2006 (pdf 2360 kb report)
Puget Sound Partnership
Ten simple things you can do to help protect and improve
the quality of water and marine life in Puget Sound.
For definition of boundaries for each recreational marine area
check the
Marine
Area Definitions and Codes (pdf) from the
Washington Fish and Wildlife regulations.
Back to State
Map
Statewide Fish Advisory for Mercury
DOH, Shellfish
Closures Due to Pollution or Biotoxin Contamination (Shellfish
& Water Protection Program) |
The Washington State Department of
Health (DOH) has completed an assessment of contaminants in
Puget Sound fish. The assessment considered data gathered by
the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife under
the Puget Sound Assessment and Monitoring Program (PSAMP).
DOH has used this assessment to update advice on eating fish
as part of a healthy diet. To learn more read our
fact
sheet. (pdf 231kb)
Main Contaminants
The main contaminants of concern are
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury which, once
released into the environment, move up through the food
chain into fish, marine mammals, and humans. Mercury and
PCBs have been shown to cause behavioral and learning deficits
in children exposed in the womb, so meal limits of certain
fish are especially important for women of childbearing age
and young children.
Choose Salmon
While Washingtonians are encouraged to choose salmon as an
excellent choice for a meal, the report recommends limiting
Puget Sound Chinook salmon to one meal per week and resident Chinook
(blackmouth) to two meals per month. The report
provides consumption advice for flatfish (e.g., English
sole, flounder, sanddab) and rockfish based on the Fish and
Wildlife's recreational marine areas as identified by the
map on this page.
Eat Fish, Be Smart, Choose Wisely
“It’s good to know that many fish in
Puget Sound, especially our salmon, remain a healthy choice
for the dinner table,” said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky.
“Our message is to eat fish, be smart, and choose
wisely. We’re providing clear information on the many
choices of fish that are low in contamination; let's also be
clear about the need to keep toxics out of Puget Sound.”
Healthy Fish Eating Guide
The Department of Health has created
the Healthy Fish Eating Guide,
a list of fish that are low in contaminants along
with those that should be eaten less frequently.
It's a reference that will help people make sure
that fish remains part of a healthy diet. This
guide highlights
many fish commonly available in markets that can be
eaten two times per week in accordance with recommendations
from the American Heart Association for good heart health.
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