NEWS RELEASE
February 25, 1999

Department of Community Health 1999 Fish Advisory
Maintains Focus on Women & Children

Incorporates Inland Lakes Information

Michigan Department of Community Health Director James K. Haveman, Jr. today announced that Michigan's 1999 fish advisory will maintain its focus on women and children and incorporates advice from advocacy groups about safe consumption of fish from inland lakes. The advisory, a scientific assessment of contaminants in Michigan sport fish, is contained in a new booklet published by the Department of Community Health.

"Michigan began its fish advisory program in the 1970's and since then fish have become much less contaminated," said Haveman. "It is important to know about the chemicals that are in some fish, how to properly trim and cook fish and the health benefits of including fish in your diet. The 1999 Fish Advisory provides important information so that families can enjoy fishing in Michigan in good health."

"We have continued the practice of providing a section of advice especially for children and certain women, who are potentially more sensitive to contaminants such as PCB's--polychlorinated biphenyls," said David R. Johnson, MD, Department of Community Health Deputy Director for Public Health and Chief Medical Executive. "This section is particularly for women of childbearing age and children under 15."

The advisory also provides consumption listings for the general population, including women beyond childbearing years and men. Using a convenient color-coded format, the advisory shows safe consumption limits for types and sizes of fish that are caught in specific bodies of water.

Advice for fish caught in inland lakes, published for the first time in last year's advisory, has been integrated into the charts of specific advisories for each of the Great Lakes watersheds. The inland lake advice, mostly due to mercury in fish, was published in a separate section last year.

"Feedback from a number of reviewers, including representatives of several advocacy groups, indicated that the advice for inland lakes would be more accessible and more readable if it were incorporated along with the rest of the advice in the charts of specific advisories," said Johnson.

The general mercury advice for inland lakes is presented in both text and chart form, making it easier to understand and follow. The advisories for each Great Lakes watershed include the general mercury advice in chart form for all inland lakes, impoundments or reservoirs. Lakes are listed individually if the species tested show contaminant levels that warrant different advice. Fish from more than 200 inland lakes have been tested.

The general format of the advisory is the same as in 1998, when it received concurrence from the Michigan Environmental Science Board (MESB). The MESB concluded that the approach, which provides separate advice to the two population segments, has a sound basis in the available scientific literature and makes good public health sense. The MESB said that the format also provides a cautious protective value for the more sensitive unborn and young children without being overprotective for the rest of the population.

In addition to incorporating the inland lakes advice, the new advisory features:

• •Simplified language about advice for women of childbearing age and children under 15.

• •A new section on spacing meals of sport fish to reduce the risks of chemicals in fish.

• •Cooking and cleaning advice reinforcing the fact that, while more than 50 percent of organic chemicals such as PCB can be removed by proper preparation, special trimming and cooking methods do not remove mercury.

• •Improved illustration of the fatty areas that should be trimmed away from fish before cooking.

The first copies of the 1999 fish advisory will be distributed at the Outdoorama show, which begins February 26 in Novi. The advisory will be distributed at many other outdoor shows around the state. It will be available to anglers where they buy their fishing license. Women may receive the advisory through Women, Infant and Children clinics, local public health departments, many physicians' offices and other locations.

The Department will continue to pursue greater distribution to multi-cultural populations. Last year the department informed leaders of each Native American tribe in Michigan about the availability of the advisory. This year, the advisory will be distributed to Indian Health Service Clinics.

Copies are available from the Department of Community Health health promotion clearinghouse at 1-800-626-4636. The advisory can also be found on the Department web site at www.mdch.state.mi.us/pha/fishadvi.htm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Geralyn Lasher
February 25, 1999 (517) 241-2112