The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the sale of commercial fish in markets. Due to concerns about mercury, FDA advises pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children to avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. As part of a healthy diet, FDA recommends that women who may become pregnant and nursing mothers eat up to 12 ounces per week of a variety of other kinds of fish and follow the same recommendations when feeding fish and shellfish to their young children, but serve smaller portions.
Unlike anglers, people who get their fish from the market or restaurants are likely to eat fish from a variety of sources and locations. Also, for most contaminants, commercial fish have concentrations generally lower than are found in many New York State sportfish.
The FDA's resource titled "What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish" includes answers to frequently asked questions about mercury in fish and shellfish. For further information about the risks of mercury in fish and shellfish, call the FDA at (888) 723-3366 or visit FDA.gov
The following information has been provided by New York State Deparment of Health.
For more information on the NYS DOH Fish Advisory please visit their website NYS DOH Fish Advisory
Last updated June 16, 2022