Developing Fish and Shellfish Consumption Advisories
Objective
The objective of this website is to provide guidance for state, Tribal, and territorial fish advisory programs to develop and issue risk-based consumption recommendations for fish and shellfish to protect human health.
Introduction
Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet, providing essential nutrients and a high quality source of protein. However, fish and shellfish may at times contain chemicals or illness-causing microorganisms that could pose a health risk to people who eat fish caught in local waters.
All 50 states and some territories and Tribes have issued fish and shellfish consumption advisories (advisories) to protect human health. These advisories contain a recommendation to limit or avoid eating certain species of fish or shellfish caught from a specific body of water (e.g., lake, river, coastal waters) due to chemical or microbiological contamination. Some states have statewide consumption advisories. Advisories are the product of a multi-step process that initially includes designing a fish and shellfish contaminant monitoring program and collecting, processing, and analyzing the tissue samples. The data are then analyzed to determine health risks from fish and shellfish consumption and if needed, the fish advisory is created and communicated to the public.
Five-Step Process for Developing Fish and Shellfish Consumption Advisories
The five-step process is presented in a series of webpages replacing Volumes 1 and 2 of EPA’s Guidance for Assessing Chemical Contaminant Data for Use in Fish Advisories. More information is provided in Historical Perspective of Fish and Shellfish Consumption Advisory Guidance.
Select each topic for detailed information