The Louisiana Departments of Health, Environmental Quality and Wildlife and Fisheries today issued a series of fish consumption advisories for nine bodies of water. These most recent advisories include one new warning and updates to eight previously issued warnings.
Advisories are precautions and are issued when unacceptable levels of mercury are detected in fish or shellfish.
1) Two O’clock Bayou from Louisiana Highway 190 in St. Landry Parish to Craft Lake, includes Cowan Bay, Close Lake and Craft Lake.
2) Bayou des Cannes from its origin near Ville Platte in Evangeline Parish to where it enters the Mermentau River
3) Chicot Lake Includes Cocodrie Lake in Evangeline and Rapides parishes
4) Crooked Creek Reservoir Evangeline Parish
5) Henderson Lake, Lake Bigeux, and all waters within the area bounded on the north by the St. Landry/St. Martin Parish Line, on the east by the West Atchafalaya River levee (or Hwy. 3177), on the south by Hwy. 3177 and on the west by the West Atchafalaya Basin levee
6) Bayou Plaquemine Brule from its headwaters near Cankton, Louisiana to its confluence with the Mermentau River east of Lake Arthur, Louisiana.
7) Seventh Ward Canal Vermillion Parish
Because of mercury contamination, there are now fish consumption advisories for 48 waterways in Louisiana and one for the Gulf of Mexico
Louisiana fish consumption advisories are based on the estimate that the average resident eats four meals of fish per month (1 meal = ½ pound). Consuming more than this from local water bodies may increase health risks.
Mercury is an element that occurs naturally in the environment. Consequently, there are small amounts of mercury in the sediments of streams, lakes, rivers and oceans. Nearly all fish contain trace amounts of mercury. They absorb mercury as they feed on aquatic organisms. Larger predator fish contain more mercury than smaller fish. It is recommended that smaller fish be consumed instead of larger ones.
Dr. Jimmy Guidry, State Health Officer, said people are exposed to low levels of mercury throughout their lives.
“Eating contaminated fish is one way we are exposed to mercury. Health effects from harmful levels of mercury can include nervous system and kidney damage,” Guidry said. “Young children and developing fetuses are more sensitive to the toxic effects of mercury. Therefore, consumption advisories are issued at lower fish tissue concentrations for women of childbearing age and children under seven years of age.”
