Warning about Eating Freshwater Fish

E-mail: Contact the webmaster with your questions, comments or suggestions.
Home FAQ Association Boating Laws Community Contests Current Events Discussions Fishing
Links Living Local Laws Maps Marine Safety Past Events Photos State of Maine Water Education

Warning: Mercury in Maine freshwater fish may harm the babies of pregnant and nursing mothers, and young children.

The chemical symbol
of MERCURY

The Presence of Mercury is...
A Significant Environmental Problem!
Mercury is a heavy metal that is used in the manufacture of many consumer goods and is found naturally in small amounts in oceans, rocks, and soils. Large amounts of mercury also become airborne through manmade processes such as burning coal, oil, wood, or natural gas as fuel, incinerating mercury-containing garbage, and through industrial production processes that utilize mercury. Once in the air, mercury can fall to the ground with rain and snow, contaminating soils and water bodies.

Once mercury is released into the environment it can change to methylmercury, a highly toxic compound. Methylmercury is easily taken up in living tissue and bioaccumulates (builds up) over time, causing serious health effects such as neurological and reproductive disorders in humans and wildlife. Since mercury does not break down in the environment, it has become a significant health threat to humans and wildlife.

Mercury levels in Maine fish, loons, and eagles are among the highest in North America. This has led the Maine Bureau of Health to issue a statewide advisory recommending that pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and young children limit their fish consumption based on the type of fish they consume. The advisories have been in place since 1994 and remain in effect today because mercury levels in fish have not decreased. Currently 40 states, including Maine, have fish consumption advisories due to mercury contamination.

Warning: Mercury in Maine freshwater fish may harm the babies of pregnant and nursing mothers, and young children.
It's worth repeating this message.

I'ts hard to believe that fish that looks, smells and tastes fine may not be safe to eat. But it is a fact that Maine lakes, ponds and rivers (as well as waters in many other states) have been polluted by mercury. The mercury mostly blows in from out of state and settles into the waters. The mercury then builds up in fish. Fish that eat other fish have the highest mercury levels. Older fish have more mercury than young fish.

Small amounts of mercury can do damage to the brain starting to form and grow. That's why babies in the womb, nursing babies, and young kids are most at risk. Mercury can affect how well they learn, remember things, and move and play later in life. Mercury can also harm older children and adults, but it takes larger amounts of mercury. It may cause a sensation of numbness, prickling, or tingling in hands and feet - a sign of nerve damage.

To prevent possible harm from mercury due to eating freshwater fish, the Bureau of Health offers the following advice:

Warning: Some Maine waters are polluted by chemicals called DDT, PCBs and Dioxins.
Therefore, additional fish eating limits should be recognized and observed

Sad, but true. PCBs, DDT and Dioxins are present in low amounts in many foods (such as meat and dairy products). As a result, we all have some PCBs getting into our bodies every day. These chemicals may increase your risk of getting cancer and cause other health problems if too much builds up in your body.

Fish caught in some Maine waters have higher levels of PCBs and Dioxins compared to most other foods. If you eat these fish often, it could be the major way these chemicals get into your body. To help prevent harm from these chemicals, the Bureau of Health offers the following advice for waters known to have fish with elevated levels of Dioxins and PCBs:

Androscoggin River (Gilead to Merrymeeting Bay) 6-12 fish meals per year
Dennys River (Meddybemps to Dead Stream) 1-2 fish meals per month
Green Pond, Chapman Pit & Greenlaw Brook (Limestone) Do not consume any fish from these waters
Little Madawaska River & all tributaries (Madawaska Dam to Grimes Mill Road) Do not consume any fish from these waters
Kennebec River (Augusta to The Chops) Do not consume any fish from these waters
Kennebec River (Shawmut Dam in Fairfield to Augusta) 5 Trout meals per year, 1-2 Bass meals per month
Kennebec River (Madison to Fairfield) 1-2 fish meals per month
Meduxnekeag River 2 fish meals per month
North Branch Presque Isle River 2 fish meals per month
Penobscot River (Below Lincoln) 1-2 fish meals per month
Prestile Stream 1 fish meal per month
Red Brook (Scarborough) 6 fish meals per year
Salmon Falls River (Below Berwick) 6-12 fish meals per year
Sebasticook River (East Branch) 2 fish meals per month
Sebasticook River (West Branch) 2 fish meals per month
Sebasticook River (Main Stem) 2 fish meals per month


NOTICE:
              Warnings for PCBs and Dioxins are based on fish studies that were revised August 29, 2000.
              To find out about any changes in the warnings, contact the Environmental Toxicology Program in the Bureau of Health Department of Human Services at (207) 287-6455 or toll-free at (866) 292-3474 or you can visit their website.
              Individuals should feel free to call them with questions about contaminants in fish, well water quality and other related health matters.

* Contact the Bureau of Health Environmental Toxicology Program for information about eating Striped Bass, Bluefish and Lobster Tomalley.


Home FAQ Association Boating Laws Community Contests Current Events Discussions Fishing
Links Living Local Laws Maps Marine Safety Past Events Photos State of Maine Water Education
E-mail: Contact the webmaster with your questions, comments or suggestions.

Warning about Eating Freshwater Fish