Did you know that eating tuna, particularly albacore canned tuna, is the single highest cause of mercury exposure in the US? There’s an extensive list of mercury-tainted fish at the EPA website that you should be aware of if you ever buy fish and eat it. But what if you catch your own? Then you need to check with your state’s department of health and read the fish consumption advisory.
This advisory will list the results of the tests your state does each year on various water sources and wetlands. Bear in mind that not all sources are tested, so if you regularly fish in a spot that isn’t on the report at all, you may want to rethink the fish you eat from that particularly source. If you regularly catch and eat things like some types of bass, walleye, northern pike and some catfish, you could be putting yourself at risk because those are predator fish. They’re eating other fish, and if you’re catching them from a spot that’s got a high mercury level, they’ll have even higher levels thanks to their exposure plus their steady diet of mercury-tainted prey fish.
Checking your state’s fish mercury warnings is a good way to find the better places in your area to fish. The report also contains information about levels of other dangerous substances like PCBs. Some water sources have high levels of things like chlordane that are hazardous to your health. Pregnant women need to be especially diligent about both the purchased and the caught fish they eat because many of the contaminants found in fish can affect the development of the fetus and cause serious problems.
It’s not hard to learn how to prepare fish to minimize your exposure to things like PCBs, even if you catch them from a source deemed safe. The fat is where these chemicals accumulate, as well as the skin, so removing those will make a big difference. Also, never fry or let the fish stew in its own juices. Cook the fish so fat and liquids drip away, such as on a grill or slotted pan. This won’t reduce mercury levels, though. You have to simply eat fewer fish to minimize your mercury exposure.