Don’t eat the fish from Louisville’s river

July 30, 3:50 PMLouisville City Hall ExaminerThomas McAdam

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The beautiful Ohio River, which forms Louisville’s northern and western boundaries, is a fisherman’s paradise. Everything from monster Channel Catfish and Carp, to Bass and Paddlefish is just waiting below the rippling surface of the river for sportsmen; both the skilled and the lucky. Fishing on the rock outcropping below the falls is a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Sadly, many of these wonderful fish have been rendered inedible, due to elevated levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and mercury levels found in the river. The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH), the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the Department of Environmental Protection re-issued fish consumption advisories for the Ohio River last week.

 

These advisories are intended to inform the public about the possible risks of eating unrestricted amounts of some fish from the Ohio River. “Pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and children who consume fish as part of their diet are more susceptible to the ill effects of contaminants sometimes found in fish,” said William Hacker, M.D., DPH commissioner. “For this reason these individuals should follow the special population advisory.”

Due to recent tissue samplings of sauger and flathead catfish, the advisory for the Upper Reach of the Ohio River (mouth of the Big Sandy River to Markland Dam) was modified last year to one meal per month for the general population and six meals per year for special or sensitive populations. This advisory remains in effect for 2009. Advisories for the Middle Reach (Markland Dam to Cannelton Dam) and the Lower Reach (Cannelton Dam to Mississippi River) remain unchanged from last year’s advisory.

 

“Fish are fun to catch, and are a nutritious, low-fat food,” said Ron Brooks, director of fisheries with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Our role is to educate the public about recommended amounts of certain fish they should consume so everyone can make informed decisions.”

The reporting system used by DPH and Fish and Wildlife provides advisories for the general population and a special population, which includes pregnant women, nursing mothers and their infants, and children. Women who may be or plan to become pregnant should also consider the special population advice.

The following are consumption precautions for various tested species in the Middle Reach of the Ohio River bordering Metro Louisville. In general, if a species is not listed, this does not necessarily mean these other fish species are risk-free to consumers. Rather, it means there is no data available for that particular species.

DPH also reminds consumers that proper cleaning, skinning, trimming and cooking can reduce contaminant levels in the fish. Eat only skinless, boneless fillets with as much fat as possible removed. Do not eat the skin, which can contain higher levels of fat. Eggs should be discarded.

Roasting, baking or broiling has been found to reduce the levels of PCBs and chlordane more than other cooking methods.

“Cooking does not destroy the contaminants, nor does it lower their toxicity,” said Guy Delius, director for the public health protection and safety division in DPH. “The heat melts some of the fat in the fish, removing some of the contaminants at the same time, but do not eat or reuse the fat and juices that cook out of the fish. Also, remember that cooking fish will not reduce levels of mercury in fish.”