The season for fishing is upon us, and if you plan on eating your catches, it’s important to know what is safe to eat and what isn’t.
Trout season officially opened on April 1 in New York, which means Chemung County residents may be headed out to their go-to fishing spot for a day on the river.
The New York State Department of Health on April 1 issued updated advice for eating fish caught in waterbodies statewide.
“New York State is a beautiful place to fish, and as we kick off the fishing season, the Department of Health wants to make sure people have the latest advice on safely eating the fish they catch,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said.
For those who keep their fish to have for dinner, there are some things you should know before consuming them.
Here’s what the New York State Department of Health says about eating fish caught in Chemung County.
Can you eat fish caught in Chemung County waters?
DOH lists several chemicals of concern for fish caught in Chemung County waters, including mercury, PFAS and PCBs. Therefore, the DOH has specific recommendations around the amount of consumption for various types of fish caught in local waters.
Don’t eat fish from Coldbrook Creek
DOH advises anglers not to eat any fish from Coldbrook Creek due to concerns around PCB exposure.
Catharine Creek
DOH recommends only consuming one meal per month from white sucker fish taken from Catharine Creek in Chemung and Schuyler counties. Follow statewide advice for all other fish in Catharine Creek (see below).
Koppers Pond
DOH recommends that the general population only consume one meal per month from carp taken from Koppers Pond. For the sensitive population, including those who are pregnant and children, DOH recommends not eating any carp nor any other fish from Koppers Pond. The general population can follow statewide advice for all other fish in Koppers Pond, DOH said.
Keuka Lake, Steuben County
For yellow perch caught in Keuka Lake, DOH advises the general population can consume up to four meals per month. For sensitive populations, including those who are pregnant and children, DOH advises up to one meal per month. For all other fish in Keuka Lake, follow statewide advice.
Follow statewide advice for other fish
For fish caught in all other Chemung and Steuben County waters, DOH recommends following statewide advice.
The DOH has broken the fish caught into categories of “best choice,” “good choice,” and “eat less.”
Best choice
For the general population and the sensitive population, the following fish can be consumed in four meals per month:
Good choice
For the general population, the following fish can be consumed in four meals per month, while the sensitive population should only consume them in one meal per month:
Eat less
For both the general and sensitive population, the DOH recommends eating the following fish in one meal per month:
The DOH recommends the sensitive population not eat the following fish:
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Is it safe to eat fish caught in Chemung County? What to know
Reporting by Sunshyne Lynch, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
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