Sport Fish Consumption Advisory Updated

The West Virginia Dept. of Health and Human Resources has updated its West Virginia Sport Fish Consumption Advisory for 2023.
In the Ohio River from the Pennsylvania border in Brooke County to the Belleville Lock in Wood County, the advisory cautions against consuming any amount of channel catfish over 18 inches.
Channel catfish shorter than 18 inches, common carp, striped bass hybrid and white bass should be limited to six meals per year.
Flathead catfish, freshwater drum, largemouth bass, sauger, saugeye, smallmouth bass, smallmouth Buffalo, spotted bass, all suckers and walleye should be limited to one meal per month.
All the fish in the advisory for the are could be contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls, commonly known as PCB’s.
The 2023 advisory updates are the result of reviewing the recent fish tissues data and re-analysis of historical data.
DHHR partners with the West Virginia Dep. of Environmental Protection and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources to develop consumption advisories for fish caught in West Virginia waters.
Fish consumption advisories are updated each year to help West Virginia anglers and their families make educated choices about eating the fish they catch. 
There have been no changes to the current West Virginia sportfish advisory, as the recent data indicates that no changes were needed.
Low levels of chemicals like PCB’s, mercury and dioxin have been found in some fish from certain waters.
An advisory is advice and should not be viewed as law or regulation. It is intended to help anglers and their families decide where to fish, what types of fish to eat, how to limit the amount and frequency of fish eaten and how to prepare and cook fish to reduce contaminants.
Women of childbearing age, children and people who regularly eat fish are particularly susceptible to contaminants that build up over time. Individuals falling into one of those categories should be especially careful to follow the guideline.
The advisory covers only sport fish caught in West Virginia waters. Safety regulations and advisories for fish in the marketplace are the responsibility of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).