[hog]

Dang, I guess we all are gonna have xray vision, be glowing in the dark or have our skin eaten off if we eat any sea food someday...

I knew about the kings, but, I must not remember about all this other stuff...

Worth Checking out, click here or read below

Fish Consumption Bans and Advisories
​

Recent Changes

• New advisory for Neches River in East Texas
• New advisory for Lake Alan Henry in the Panhandle

Fish and shellfish can be a source of high quality protein in your diet. Fish and shellfish, however, can accumulate contaminants from the waters in which they live. The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) monitors fish in the state for the presence of environmental contaminants and alerts the public through bans (closures) and advisories when a threat to human health may occur from the consumption of contaminated fish.
Typically, fish and shellfish do not contain levels of contaminants high enough to cause an imminent threat to health even after a few meals. Health risks from contaminants may increase for people who regularly consume larger fish and predatory fish from one area of contaminated water over a long period of time. To reduce health risks in areas of contamination, people should consume fish from a variety of waterbodies and should generally eat smaller fish. Following TDSHS guidelines and recommendations will significantly decrease health risks and allow a maximum level of protection for persons consuming fish from areas of known contamination.
Consumption bans and advisories are updated by the TDSHS as needed. In waters with consumption bans, possession and consumption of fish and/or shellfish is prohibited. Catch and release fishing from these areas is allowed. A consumption advisory is a recommendation to limit consumption to specified quantities, species, and sizes of fish. For more information, visit the TDSHS website or call the TDSHS at (800) 685-0361 (shellfish) or (512) 834-6757 (fish).
Fish Consumption Bans

The possession of all species of fish and crabs is prohibited from the following areas. Catch and release of fish and crabs from these areas is lawful. For maps and details on these bans, see the TDSHS Listing of Waterbodies with Possession Bans.

• Portions of upper Lavaca Bay in Calhoun County
• The Donna Irrigation System in Hidalgo County
• Trinity River from the 7th Street Bridge in Fort Worth, downstream to the Texas 34 Bridge in Kaufman and Ellis Counties southeast of Dallas
• Mountain Creek Lake in Dallas County
• Echo Lake in Tarrant County

Fish Consumption Advisories

TDSHS recommends limiting consumption of certain fish in these areas as indicated below. For area maps and details on these advisories, see the TDSHS Listing of Waterbodies with Advisories.
Gulf of Mexico

All Texas Coastal Waters
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• King mackerel greater than 43 inches in total length should not be consumed.
• For king mackerel 37 to 43 inches in total length:
  • Adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per week.
  • Women of child-bearing age and children should limit consumption to not more than one, 8-ounce meal per month.
• King mackerel less than 37 inches in total length are safe for unrestricted consumption.

Flower Garden Banks

• Based on a recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory, the TDSHS advises recreational anglers to avoid consumption of certain fish species captured in the vicinity of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. More information can be found in the Harmful Algal Blooms section of this website.

South Texas

Lower Leon Creek in San Antonio, Bexar County
Chemicals of Concern: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

• Persons should not consume any species of fish from Leon Creek starting at the Texas Highway 90 bridge downstream to Military Drive.

Valley (Harlingen/McAllen Area)

Arroyo Colorado, Llano Grande Lake, and the Main Floodway upstream of the Port of Harlingen in Cameron and Hidalgo counties
Chemicals of Concern: Mercury, DDE and PCBs

• Persons should not consume longnose gar and smallmouth buffalo from these waters.

Central Texas

Canyon Lake in Comal County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• For striped bass and longnose gar, adults and children 12 and older are advised to eat no more than two 8-ounce servings per month. Children under 12 should eat no more than two 4-ounce servings per month.
• Pregnant women, women who could become pregnant and mothers who are breastfeeding are advised not to eat any striped bass or longnose gar from the lake.

Northeast/Southeast Texas

Neches River and all contiguous waters in Angelina, Hardin, Houston, Jasper, Polk, Trinity and Tyler counties
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• For flathead catfish, freshwater drum, gar, largemouth bass, spotted bass and white bass, adults should limit consumption to no more than two 8-ounce servings per month. Children under 12 years old should limit their consumption of these same fish to no more than two 4-ounce servings per month.
• Women who are nursing, pregnant or who may become pregnant should not consume five of the above species from this stretch of the Neches River.

Lake Madisonville in Madison County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• For largemouth bass, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce servings per month, and children under 12 years old should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce servings per month.
• Women who are nursing, pregnant or who may become pregnant should not consume largemouth bass from this lake.

Clear Lake in Panola County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• For largemouth bass, freshwater drum and bowfin, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children under 12 years of age should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.
• Women of childbearing age who are or might become pregnant, or who are nursing should not consume largemouth bass, freshwater drum or bowfin from this lake.

Hills Lake in Panola County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• For largemouth bass and freshwater drum, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children under 12 years of age should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.
• Women of childbearing age who are or might become pregnant, or who are nursing should not consume largemouth bass or freshwater drum from this lake.

B.A. Steinhagen Lake in Jasper and Tyler counties; Big Cypress Creek in Marion County; Caddo Lake in Harrison and Marion counties; Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Angelina, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Sabine, and San Augustine counties; and Toledo Bend Reservoir in Newton, Panola, Sabine, and Shelby counties
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• All Locations: For largemouth bass and freshwater drum, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.
• For B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir: For white bass or hybrid striped bass, adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per month, and children should limit consumption to no more than one, 4-ounce meal per month.

Village Creek in Hardin County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• For crappie, gar, and largemouth bass, adults should limit consumption to no more than two eight ounce meals per month.
• Children under twelve years old should limit consumption of crappie, gar, and largemouth bass to no more than two four ounce meals per month.
• Women who are nursing, pregnant, or who may become pregnant should not consume crappie, gar, and largemouth bass from Village Creek.

Lake Kimball in Hardin and Tyler counties and Lake Pruitt (Black Cypress Creek) in Cass County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• For all species of fish, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children under 12 years of age should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.

Lone Star Lake (aka Ellison Creek Reservoir) in Morris County
Chemicals of Concern: PCBs

• Persons should not consume any species of fish from this reservoir.

Lake Daingerfield in Morris County and Lake Ratcliff in Houston County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• For largemouth bass, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.

Panhandle

Lake Alan Henry in Garza and Kent counties
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• For blue catfish, flathead catfish, crappie, largemouth bass and spotted bass, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month.
• Children under 12 and women who are pregnant or nursing should not consume any fish of those species.

Lake Meredith in Hutchinson, Moore, and Potter counties
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• For walleye, adults should limit consumption to no more than two, 8-ounce meals per month, and children should limit consumption to no more than two, 4-ounce meals per month.

Dallas/Fort Worth Area

Lake Worth in Tarrant County
Chemicals of Concern: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

• Persons should not consume any species of fish from these waters.

Fosdic Lake in Tarrant County

• For common carp, adults and children 12 and older should eat no more than two 8-ounce servings per month.
• Children under 12 should eat no more than two 4-ounce servings per month.
• Women who are or might become pregnant and women who are nursing should not eat any common carp from the lake.

Trinity River from Texas 34 to Cedar Creek Reservoir discharge in Kaufman, Ellis, Henderson, and Navarro counties.
Chemicals of Concern: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Chlordane, DDE

• Persons should not consume any species of gar from these waters.

Houston/Galveston Area

Lake Isabell in Harris County
Chemical of Concern: Mercury

• Adults should limit consumption of largemouth bass to no more than two 8-ounce servings per month.
• Children under 12 years old should limit consumption to no more than two 4-ounce servings per month.
• Women who are nursing, pregnant or who may become pregnant should not consume largemouth bass from Lake Isabell.

Clear Creek in Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston and Harris counties
Chemical of Concern: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

• Persons should not consume any species of fish from these waters.

Galveston Bay including Chocolate Bay, East Bay, West Bay, Trinity Bay and contiguous waters
Chemicals of Concern: Dioxin and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

• For all catfish species and spotted seatrout, adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per month.
• Women who are nursing, pregnant, or who may become pregnant and children should not consume catfish or spotted seatrout from these waters.

Houston Ship Channel upstream of the Lynchburg Ferry crossing and all contiguous water including the San Jacinto River below U.S. Highway 90 bridge
Chemicals of Concern: Dioxin, Organochlorine pesticides, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

• For all species of fish and blue crabs, adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per month.
• Women of child-bearing age and children under 12 should not consume any fish or blue crabs from this area.

Houston Ship Channel downstream of the Lynchburg Ferry crossing and all contiguous waters including Upper Galveston Bay north of a line drawn from Red Bluff Point to Five Mile cut Marker to Houston Point
Chemicals of Concern: Dioxin and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

• For spotted seatrout, blue crabs and all catfish species, adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per month.
• Children under 12 and women of childbearing age should not consume spotted seatrout, blue crabs, or any catfish species from this area.

 

[Chase This!]

Mashugana

 

[Hotrod]

Too much to read Jimmy, what did it say?

 

[justhookit]

Basically it said "don't eat kingfish".

I didn't need a government bulletin to tell me that. Hell I hate it when we accidentally catch a few every year.

 

[High Hopes]

PCB's, mercury, other chit, there is a reason why I am not a bay fisherman, and I only keep the small ones off-shore. I am to believe that off-shore fish are in less polluted water. Even with all that, the fish have got to be better for you than all of those cooperate raised protein sources full of antibiotics and such. Something else will probably kill you before you have to worry about having ill affects of eating some fish.
I would be very interested to have the fish that I catch off-shore analyzed to see for my self, how bad things are or if allot of that talk is Peta-evioro-vegan propaganda.

I know that allot of people along the Texas coast eat allot of fish all the time. I don't hear anything about people getting sick from fish consumption. My question is are there very few cases of this compared all other illnesses that people have or is this just something that nobody talks about, like all of the really bad chit that really goes on in the city that the general public does not need to hear. They through a murder or a car chase hear or there, but I have listened to the police and fire departments on the scanner. Allot of people don't know what actually happens in their town, if they did, everyone would be carrying a gun.

 

[samj]

That's done it!!!! My boat, truck, and all the tackle is now up for sale.

 

[hog]

Too much to read Jimmy, what did it say?

Hummmmm

dang

I canttttttt...................

Oh yea, -----------It might not be to bad to have the X-ray vision part....

"Wheres me a slimy mercury filled oily gray meat king fish >43" from anywhere or my certain fish species from the Flower Gardens or trout from the houston ship channel when I need one?" :smile:

Guess I'll have to get me a pair of these in the mean time..

 

[aggieangler09]

we had a yellowfin tuna we caught this winter tested for mercury. It came back ten times less than the federally mandated limit. I'll eat sushi till i drop dead....

 

[REELING 65]

The Blue Water Board is for Fisherman that fish. Eat or catch and release..it does not matter. If your going to worry now..about Toxin's in your daily consumption.
Well think again..all the food's you eat are subject to question these days. The year is 2010...get used to the world being......up! If you worry about all that is bad it ruin's the good! This is a Fishing site. Not what is going to eat my insides site. I will eat fish till I die. I plan on living for a while. I will go on fishing and eat fish. Trout..yes Trout is one of the highest in Mercury. Just watch your intake of mercury. If you want to scare yourself..then go down to the bottom and take a look! More Toxins then you could dream of. So..why don't we all just sit around and think of what will eat us alive. Just look at all that is going on right now in the world. Earth Quakes wars..need I go on. Nuclear worry's and Natural disasters..the new CEO. All worrying does is promote depression which in-turn lead's to bad health and even death. A known medical fact..we cant hide behind curtains and worry. We all must do the thing's that we all love to do. The strong will survive.. and have will and perseverance. Heck...I'm going fishing!
Blue Water and Tight Lines! :cheers:

 

[High Hopes]

All I know is I am one of the healthiest people I know, I rarely get sick, I don't have allergies, I have no health problems and I eat a chit load of fish.

 

[FlounderP]

The Blue Water Board is for Fisherman that fish. Eat or catch and release..it does not matter. If your going to worry now..about Toxin's in your daily consumption.
Well think again..all the food's you eat are subject to question these days. The year is 2010...get used to the world being......up! If you worry about all that is bad it ruin's the good! This is a Fishing site. Not what is going to eat my insides site. I will eat fish till I die. I plan on living for a while. I will go on fishing and eat fish. Trout..yes Trout is one of the highest in Mercury. Just watch your intake of mercury. If you want to scare yourself..then go down to the bottom and take a look! More Toxins then you could dream of. So..why don't we all just sit around and think of what will eat us alive. Just look at all that is going on right now in the world. Earth Quakes wars..need I go on. Nuclear worry's and Natural disasters..the new CEO. All worrying does is promote depression which in-turn lead's to bad health and even death. A known medical fact..we cant hide behind curtains and worry. We all must do the thing's that we all love to do. The strong will survive.. and have will and perseverance. Heck...I'm going fishing!
Blue Water and Tight Lines! :cheers:

Amen

 

[adamssportfishing]

i WAS WONDERING WHY MY FISH ALWAYS WEIGHT SO MUCH:walkingsm

 

[igo320]

Kittens are low in mercury and PCB's.

 

[Sharkbitten]

None of us are getting out of here alive! Im going to eat and be happy!!!

 

[James Howell]

Well, I would explain all this, but it would bore the hell out of all of you. I used to be one of the toxicologists that would be involved in fish consumption advisories and bans in Texas (it was called the TNRCC back then, not TCEQ). Suffice it to say that any large apex predator in any of the worlds oceans is going to have enough methyl mercury bioaccumulated to be cause for concern for the elderly, children, and women of child bearing age. As far as a bunch of 20-60 yr old middle income male recreational fishermen, you are not what we would label a "sensitive subpopulation" (i.e. we don't care what happens to you), so keep on smoking, drinking, and eating the fish, something else will get you before the toxins do.

 

[CoastalOutfitters]

heard a story the other day about a lady marathon runner that ate only canned tuna in water on crackers for lunch and she got very ill, turned out it was mercury poisoning.

 

[bluewateraggie]

Kingfish? Sea trout? ***! I care if I live. I will die if I don't fish and eat fish. Just last month I hate approx 5 lbs of yft, 5 lbs of bft, approx 2 lbs of shark, 1 lb of oysters, 5 lbs of gulf shrimp and, yes I ate approx 1 whole kingfish about 10 lbs. I was perfectly fine, I think, last month. This month I had my first middle ear infection in 28 years, suffered from vertigo from it, bron****is, tonsil****is, sinu****us. Dr said it was the oak pollen that is off the charts. Should I seek legal counsel for bad diagnosis and cut back on my intake of kingfish? Think I can upgrade my boat out of this?

 

[blueproline]

Kittens are low in mercury and PCB's.

yes they are...but the sharks that you catch on them are not...:smile:

 

[blueproline]

they can go tell all that to someone else, i like trout from galveston /chocolate bay, grouper and amberjack from the gardens, and kingfish from anywhere else inthe gulf.:cheers: :fish:

 

[Swells]

Now for the good news ... Paul Harvey would be proud of me.

The Dolphinfish is one of the lowest in mercury. Scientists don't know exactly why but the thinking is that they grow very fast and die relatively young, thus having little time to store up bad actors in their fat. They are not only a beautiful fish, but the ones above 30 or 40 pounds are usually one heck of a fight - and they eat real good although they lack the food qualities found in tuna and grouper.

Catch a dink "peanut" for a dolphinfish? They make great bait, but the oldest trick in the book when drift fishing is to leave him on a pole or put him on a rope and leave him swimming under the boat - that'll call in more fish!

This is a truly amazing fish, low in mercury, high in Omega acids good for you and the bride and kiddos, and one heck of lot of fun out there on the blue. They are starting to run now in 72 degree water.

Good day!