N.J. Tightens Warnings on Tidal Fish, Shellfish

By Colleen Diskin, The Record, Hackensack, N.J.

Mar. 31–State officials issued stricter warnings Thursday about eating several varieties of fish and shellfish found in tidal waters.

In the Newark Bay watershed, which includes the Hackensack River and its tributaries, a “do not eat” warning was issued for American eel and white perch. Previous guidelines had called for limited consumption of the two species.

The stronger warning was issued because levels of PCBs and dioxin were found to be higher than in previous samples, said Gary Buchanan, bureau chief for the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Science, Research and Technology.

Both contaminants “bio-accumulate,” meaning they deposit in the fat cells of small fish, which are then consumed by larger fish and then by humans.

“They are making their way up the food chain,” Buchanan said.

The updated advisories were prompted by the results of a DEP-commissioned study by the Academy of Natural Sciences. Last year, the DEP issued updated contaminant levels for fish caught in the Passaic River watershed. The agency plans to keep studying waterways in different regions and updating advisories when necessary, Buchanan said.

The results indicate that although PCB levels continue to decline in striped bass and bluefish caught in New Jersey’s ocean waters, they still exceed advisory triggers.

The warnings against eating striped bass caught in the Newark Bay complex were softened, with four meals a year permitted instead of one meal for the general population. High-risk individuals — who include pregnant women, women planning to become pregnant, nursing mothers, infants and children — are warned to stay away from striped bass entirely.

The results also confirm elevated dioxin levels in blue crabs taken from the Passaic River/Newark Bay area, for which there has been a longstanding “do not eat” warning.

A new warning was also issued for eating winter flounder caught in downstream areas of the Hudson River. Only one meal per month is recommended.

The state also warned that white perch caught in the Raritan Bay and the Raritan River be consumed just once a year. Striped bass and weakfish should be consumed just once a month, and not at all by pregnant women and others at risk.

—–

To see more of The Record, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.NorthJersey.com.

Copyright (c) 2006, The Record, Hackensack, N.J.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.