Fish Advisories for the Camanche and New Melones Reservoirs Offer Safe Eating Advice for Several Species

Nov 13, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAM DELSON
916-324-0955 (o)
916-764-0955 (m)

SACRAMENTO – New state fish advisories issued today for the Camanche and New Melones reservoirs in Central California offer safe eating advice for catfish, carp, bass, sunfish, and hardhead.

The advisory and eating guidelines were developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).

For the Camanche Reservoir, women aged 18-45 and children 1-17 years of age should avoid eating black bass but may eat one serving per week of carp, catfish, hardhead, or sunfish. Women over 45 years of age and men may eat one serving per week of black bass or as many as two servings per week of carp, catfish, or hardhead; or three servings per week of sunfish.

For the New Melones Reservoir, women aged 18-45 and children 1-17 years of age should avoid eating bass but may eat one serving per week of carp or two servings per week of catfish. Women over 45 years of age and men may eat one serving per week of bass or two servings per week of carp or as many as five servings per week of catfish.

The Camanche Reservoir is located on the Mokelumne River at the intersection of Amador, Calaveras, and San Joaquin counties. The New Melones Reservoir is located on the Stanislaus River in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties.

“Fish are an excellent source of protein and are an important part of a healthy and well-balanced diet,” said OEHHA Director Dr. George Alexeeff. “Eating fish provides important health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease. These guidelines balance these health benefits against the risks from exposure to mercury in fish.”

The recommendations for each fish species are based on levels of methylmercury, the type of mercury in fish. Depending on the exposure level, methylmercury can harm the brain and nervous system of people, especially in fetuses and children as they grow.

Mercury, a metal, is widely found in California in rock and soil. Its presence in the aquatic environment is the result of mining activities and releases into the environment from industrial sources. Mercury is converted to methylmercury in water bodies where it gets into fish through the food they eat.

Eating fish in amounts slightly greater than the advisories’ recommendations is not likely to cause a health problem if it is done only occasionally, such as eating fish caught during an annual vacation.

Fact sheets with eating advice for the Camanche and New Melones Reservoirs, as well as the health advisories and guidelines are available online.

OEHHA is the primary state entity for the assessment of risks posed by chemical contaminants in the environment. Its mission is to protect and enhance public health and the environment by scientific evaluation of risks posed by hazardous substances.