NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
June 19, 2008
Vol. 38, No. 291
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Richard Greene, (302) 739-9939, Melanie Rapp or Melinda Carl (302) 739-9902
Delaware Issues Updated Fish Consumption Advisories
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Department of Health and Social Service’s Division of Public Health today issued fish consumption advisories for fish caught in Delaware waterways that reflect long-term environmental improvements in two tributaries and a pond, and a problem with contamination from an insecticide in another tributary that has enlarged the advisory area.
“Fish consumption advisories are based on our most recent scientific data,” said DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes. “Three of our waters in New Castle County have less restrictive advisories than last year – a positive sign that water quality is improving and our decades of efforts to clean-up contaminants are working. However, we continue to face challenges with the quality of our waters and our fish consumption advisories help people make informed decisions and balance the health benefits of eating locally-caught fish with minimizing the risks of exposure to chemical contaminants.”
Fishing is a popular activity in Delaware and many people eat their catch. Although eating fish in moderation as part of a healthy diet may provide health benefits, fish can absorb contaminants from the water and the food they eat and chemicals may build up over time in fish tissues even with extremely small amounts of chemicals in the water. The amount of contaminants in fish depends on the species, size, age, sex and feeding area of the fish. Chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, and dioxin in fish are a health risk for people who regularly consume their catch.
This year’s revisions include less restrictive advisories for the Red Clay Creek and non-tidal Brandywine Creek due to falling levels of PCBs and other contaminants. The advice for both these waterways has been loosened from no more than two meals per year for all finfish to no more than six meals per year.
The existing advisory for Becks Pond has been eliminated due to falling levels of mercury and PCBs, although the statewide advisory of one meal per week remains.
The geographical coverage of the Shellpot Creek advisory was extended to include all waters upstream of Governor Printz Boulevard after sampling revealed Dieldrin, an insecticide formerly used to control termites, was detected in fairly high concentrations in fish from the non-tidal Shellpot Creek. The advice for all finfish upstream of Governor Printz Boulevard is to eat no more than one meal per year, while the advice downstream of Governor Printz Boulevard is to eat none.
The complete fish consumption advisories chart with meal advice for fish caught in Delaware waterways and information on the monitoring program can be found on DNREC’s web site, http://www.fw.delaware.gov/Fisheries/Pages/Advisories.aspx
Although the most recent testing revealed that contaminant levels in fish have dropped sufficiently to allow a loosening of several advisories, the testing also revealed that concentrations in the fish remain elevated in the tidal, historically industrial, reaches of the Christina River, Brandywine Creek, and lower Shellpot Creek. The consumption advice there remains ‘Do Not Eat.’ DNREC and EPA continue to clean up contaminated sites in that area with the expectation that conditions will improve over time.
In addition to the specific advisories mentioned above, DNREC and DHSS reminds the public of the general statewide fish consumption advisory first issued in 2007:
- Eat no more than one meal per week of any fish caught in Delaware’s fresh, estuarine and marine waters. This advisory applies to all waters and fish species not otherwise explicitly covered by an advisory.
The statewide advisory is issued to protect against eating large amounts of fish and fish that have not been tested or that may contain unidentified chemical contaminants. One meal is defined as an eight-ounce serving for adults and as a three-ounce serving for children. The statewide general advisory is consistent with a national advisory issued by the EPA and FDA, and with general advice given by many states throughout the country. Delaware issues more stringent advice for specific waters when justified by the data.
People who choose to eat species under advisories can take steps to reduce exposure. Contaminants tend to concentrate in the fatty tissue, so proper cleaning and cooking techniques can significantly reduce levels of PCBs, dioxins, chlorinated pesticides and other organic chemicals. Larger fish of a given species will likely have higher concentrations. To reduce these chemical contaminants:
- Remove all skin.
- Slice off fat belly meat along the bottom of the fish.
- Cut away any fat above the fish’s backbone.
- Cut away the V-shaped wedge of fat along the lateral line on each side of the fish.
- Bake or broil trimmed fish on a rack or grill so some of the remaining fat drips away.
- Discard any drippings. Do not eat them or use them for cooking other foods.
However, these techniques will not reduce or remove unsafe levels of mercury from fish.
Funding for Delaware’s most recent fish tissue testing was provided by the Delaware Cancer Consortium and DNREC’s Division of Air and Waste Management’s Site Investigation and Restoration Branch in their effort to better understand possible relationships between waste sites and fish contamination.
The Delaware Fish Contaminants Committee, with representatives from DNREC and the Department of Health and Social Services recommends sampling and has overseen the collection of more than 500 fish tissue samples from Delaware’s streams, ponds, estuaries, and ocean waters. The committee makes recommendations to the Secretaries of DNREC and DHSS if analyses of fish tissue indicate increased as well as decreased risks in sampled waterways.
In addition to being posted on DNREC’s website, www.fw.delaware.gov, Delaware fish consumption advisories are listed in the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s annual Fishing Guide which is released each spring and is available at Delaware State Parks and fishing license outlets throughout the state. (The new advisories listed in this release are not included in the Fishing Guide published this year due to the timing of the data and laboratory results.) The Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Public Health also posts fish advisory signs along waterways with consumption advisories.
The 2008 Fish Smart, Eat Smart brochure lists the consumption advisories and provides recommendations on ways consumers can reduce chemical contaminants from fish and will be available by July 15. Funding for the brochure was provided by the Delaware Cancer Consortium. To request a brochure, contact DNREC’s Public Affairs Office, (302) 739-9902.
For information on fish consumption advisories and information on fish purchased from seafood retailers visit the following U.S. government websites:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: www.epa.gov/ost/fish
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: www.cfsan.fda.gov/seafood1.html
