Fish Advisory for South Lake Offers Safe-Eating Advice for Four Trout Species
For Immediate Release
Contact: Amy Gilson
(916) 764-0955
Amy.Gilson@oehha.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) issued a fish consumption advisory for South Lake, located approximately 17 miles southwest of Bishop in Inyo County. The advisory provides safe-eating advice for Brook Trout, Brown Trout, California Golden Trout and Rainbow Trout.
OEHHA developed the recommendations based on the levels of mercury and selenium found in fish caught from the lake.
The fish species tested at South Lake had lower contaminant levels than many California water bodies, low enough that all four of the trout species at this lake can be safely eaten at least four times a week.
“Many fish have nutrients that may reduce the risk of heart disease and are excellent sources of protein,” said OEHHA Director Dr. Lauren Zeise. “OEHHA’s guidelines help people eating fish caught in South Lake to make healthy, informed decisions.”
OEHHA provides advice tailored to two groups--younger women and children, and older women and adult men.
For South Lake, OEHHA advises that:
Women (18 – 49) and children (1 – 17) may safely eat the following on a weekly basis:
- Six total servings of California Golden Trout or Rainbow Trout.
or
- Four servings of Brook Trout or Brown Trout.
Women (50 and older) and men (18 and older) may safely eat a maximum of:
- Seven total servings of Brown Trout, California Golden Trout or Rainbow Trout.
or
- Four servings of Brook Trout.
One serving for adults is an eight-ounce fish fillet, measured prior to cooking, which is roughly the size and thickness of your hand. For small fish species, several individual fish may make up a single eight-ounce serving. Children should eat servings less than eight ounces.
A poster with safe-eating advice for South Lake is available on OEHHA’s website in both English and Spanish. For fish species found in South Lake that are not included in this advisory, OEHHA recommends following its statewide advisory for eating fish from California lakes and reservoirs without site-specific advice.
Mercury is released into the environment from mining and burning coal. It accumulates in fish in the form of methylmercury, which can damage the human 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 to 49 years).
Selenium is an essential nutrient that is naturally present in the environment. However, high-level exposure to selenium can cause health problems such as hair loss, gastrointestinal distress, dizziness and tremors.
OEHHA’s fish advisory recommendations are based on the levels of contaminants, such as mercury, that persist in the environment and accumulate in fish. They are independent of any shorter-term advisories to limit fish intake due to freshwater or estuarine harmful algal blooms (HABs), which can produce toxins that are harmful to humans. Before fishing, check the California HABs Portal to see if there are HAB advisories and always practice healthy water habits.
Eating fish in amounts slightly greater than the advisory’s recommendations is not likely to cause health problems if it is done only occasionally, such as eating fish caught during an annual vacation.
The South Lake advisory joins more than 140 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 the environment through scientific evaluations that inform, support, and guide regulatory and other actions in the state.
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