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Advisory: Limit river fish meals Fishermen casting their rods and reels along the lower Tombigbee River and in the Claiborne Lock and Dam reservoir on the Alabama River should limit consumption of their catches, especially if it is largemouth bass, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health based on sampling conducted by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). No one should eat more than one meal per month of bass caught in the lower Tombigbee in Clarke County, in the vicinity of River Mile 83.6, because of increased levels of mercury found in fish there. The Alabama River above Claiborne Lock and Dam, in the vicinity of River Mile 73, scored a bit better since two meals per month of fish caught there is deemed allowable. Mercury was also the contaminant there. The state health department defines a meal portion as six ounces of cooked fish or eight ounces of raw fish. The two area bodies of water were among six listed on new consumption advisories released last week by the state health department. The other four waterways were for mercury contaminants as well. Past advisories that remain in effect include Bilbo Creek in Washington County, upstream of its confluence with the Tombigbee River. No more than one meal per month was recommended of fish caught from that area. Also from last year, the vicinity of Alabama River Mile 96 in the vicinity of the Lower Peach Tree Access Area near the intersection of Clarke, Monroe and Wilcox counties. This would be not far upriver from the most recent announced advisory. No more than two meals per month was recommended for fish from this area. "The Alabama Department of Public Health, along with ADEM and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, has shifted to a more protective level for mercury," according to a news release. The consumption advisories are based on a "stricter level for mercury developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency." Previously, Food and Drug Administration guidelines were used for mercury advisories that were based on eating one fish meal per week. The release doesn't point fingers at contamination problems, but acknowledges, "Mercury, which occurs both naturally and from man-made sources, can cause developmental disabilities and behavioral problems in children if it is consumed at high levels." Those who may be at added risk include women of childbearing age, pregnant women and children younger than 15 years of age. The lower Tombigbee River has long been a problem for mercury contaminants. It is adjacent to the Olin Basin Superfund site where mercury was released in the 1950s and '60s. People have long been warned of potential health problems of eating fish from the river in the area. ADEM's recent study analyzed fish for up to 25 different materials including contaminants in the water, pesticides, and heavy metals, such as mercury. Fish were also examined for body appearance, liquid content, age and weight. The health department's news release said fish are good indicators of the health of a waterbody. The news release noted that the advice offered as well as suggested fish consumption levels were offered only as a guidance to individuals who wish to eat fish they catch from various waterbodies in Alabama.
"No regulations ban the consumption of any fish caught within the state, nor is there a risk of an acute toxic episode that could result from consuming fish containing the contaminants for which the state has conducted analyses," it concludes, in legalese fashion.
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