New consumption advisories were issued today by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) for fish caught in Lake of the Isles, Calhoun, Harriet, Brownie and Cedar lakes, and in the Mississippi River downstream of Minneapolis. While finding any contaminants in our fish should be of concern, the new findings should not be cause for undue alarm among anglers, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
“People fish for many different reasons, but common to all is a love of the sport, and this news shouldn’t affect that,” said DNR Fisheries Chief Ron Payer. “Nor should it compromise the pleasure of frying up a few fillets after a day on the water. People just need to follow health guidelines on how much fish they eat from certain waters.”
DNR officials also emphasized that the agency will continue to work closely with MDH and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to gather and analyze more data regarding potential contaminants that may show up in fish, newly emerging contaminants such as perfluorochemicals (PFCs), and substances such as mercury that have been known to be of concern for some time.
As part of an ongoing multi-agency group, the DNR has been providing fish samples to be analyzed for potential contaminants for many years. Based on DNR’s knowledge of angling pressure on different water bodies, fisheries staff will collect samples from heavily fished metro lakes and streams to be tested for PFCs and other substances. The DNR will ensure that fish from contaminated waters will not be moved to other waters where contamination is not a concern.
“Minnesota is known as a land of 10,000 lakes and more than 2 million anglers,” Payer said. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that connection between people and resources continues to provide satisfying recreation and, when appropriate, healthy eating.”