Fish Advisory for Ferguson Lake Offers Safe Eating Advice for Four Fish Species

Sep 26, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SAM DELSON
(916) 324-0955 (O)
(916) 764-0955 (C)

SACRAMENTO – A state fish advisory issued today for Ferguson Lake in Imperial County provides safe eating advice for black bass species, Common Carp, sunfish species, and Striped Bass.

Ferguson Lake is located approximately 44 miles south of Blythe, California, near the town of Winterhaven. The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) developed the recommendations based on the levels of mercury and selenium found in fish caught from the lake.

“Many fish have nutrients that may reduce the risk of heart disease and are excellent sources of protein,” said Dr. Lauren Zeise, director of OEHHA. “By following our guidelines for fish caught in Ferguson Lake, people can safely eat fish low in chemical contaminants and enjoy the well-known health benefits of fish consumption.”

When consuming fish from Ferguson Lake, women ages 18-49 and children ages 1-17 may safely eat a maximum of four total servings per week of Common Carp, or one serving per week of black bass species, Striped Bass, or sunfish species.

Women ages 50 and older and men ages 18 and older may safely eat a maximum of four total servings per week of Common Carp, or three total servings per week of Striped Bass, or one total serving per week of black bass species or sunfish species.

One serving is an eight-ounce fish fillet, measured prior to cooking, which is roughly the size and thickness of your hand. Children should be given smaller servings. For small fish species, several individual fish may make up a single serving.

A poster with the safe-eating advice for Ferguson Lake is available on OEHHA’s website in both English and Spanish. For fish species found in Ferguson Lake that are not included in this advisory, OEHHA recommends following the statewide advisory for eating fish from California lakes and reservoirs without site-specific advice.

Mercury is a naturally occurring metal that is released into the environment from mining and burning coal. It accumulates in fish in the form of methylmercury, which can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in developing children and fetuses. Because of this, OEHHA provides a separate set of recommendations specifically for children up to age 17, and women of childbearing age (18-49 years).

Selenium is an essential nutrient that is naturally present in the environment. However, high-level exposure can cause health problems such as hair loss, gastrointestinal distress, dizziness, and tremors.

Eating fish in amounts slightly greater than the advisory’s recommendations based on mercury or selenium is not likely to cause health problems if it is done occasionally, such as eating fish caught during an annual vacation.

Ferguson Lake advisory recommendations join more than 100 other OEHHA advisories that provide site-specific, health-based fish consumption advice for many of the places where people catch and eat fish in California, including lakes, rivers, bays, reservoirs, and the California coast. Advisories are available on OEHHA’s Fish Advisories webpage.

OEHHA’s mission is to protect and enhance the health of Californians and our state’s environment through scientific evaluations that inform, support, and guide regulatory and other actions.

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