Love fishing? LDH issues advisories for eating fish from 11 Louisiana bodies of water (2024)

by: Michael Scheidt

Posted: Apr 17, 2024 / 02:31 PM CDT

Updated: Apr 17, 2024 / 02:31 PM CDT

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Fish consumption advisories have been issued for 11 bodies of water in Louisiana. According to LDH, “the state issues precautionary advisories when unacceptable levels of mercury are detected in fish or shellfish.”

The advisories were brought by the Louisiana Department of Health, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality samples fish and the data is used by LDH to either make new advisories or change ones that are in place.

According to LDH, fish consumption advisories in the state “are based on the estimate that the average resident eats four meals of fish per month” with one meal equaling half a pound.

LDH gave details about the advisories for each body of water. Click on any of the 11 links to learn more about the advisories.

• Bayou Dorcheat(Updated Advisory)
• Black Bayou Lake (Updated Advisory)
• Black Lake and Clear Lake(Updated Advisory)
• Caddo Lake(Updated Advisory)
• Corney Lake(Updated Advisory)
• Grand Bayou Reservoir(Updated Advisory)
• Ivan Lake(Updated Advisory)
• Kepler Creek Lake(Updated Advisory)
• Toledo Bend Reservoir(Updated Advisory)
• Vernon Lake(Updated Advisory)
• Lake Maurepas(New Advisory)

LDH said, “because of mercury contamination, there are now fish consumption advisories for 51 waterways in Louisiana and one for the Gulf of Mexico.”

You can learn more about LDH’s Health and Fish Consumption Advisories Program online including advisories involving mercury and other chemicals.

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