Department of Health and Social Services …

   Department of Health and Social Services                      Division of Public Health                Editors:
   Karleen Jackson, Commissioner                                 Beverly Wooley, Director                 Joe McLaughlin, MD, MPH
   Jay Butler, MD, Chief Medical Officer                                                                  Bradford D. Gessner, MD, MPH
   3601 C Street, Suite 540                                      Local telephone number 907-269-8000
   Anchorage, Alaska 99503           http://www.epi.Alaska.gov   24 Hour Emergency 1-800-478-0084         Bulletin No. 29   October 15, 2007


   Fish Consumption Advice for Alaskans: A Risk Management Strategy to Optimize the
                        Public's Health  Executive Summary
On October 15, 2007, the State of Alaska issued new fish                      concern. However, a small number of Alaska fish species had
consumption guidance for people who catch and eat fish from                   high enough mercury levels to warrant recommendations for
Alaska waters. The Recommendations and Reports document,                      women who are or can become pregnant, nursing mothers, and
"Fish Consumption Advice for Alaskans: A Risk Management                      young children to limit consumption of those fish species.
Strategy to Optimize the Public's Health", is available in its
entirety at www.epi.alaska.gov/eh/fish/. Requests for printed                 Of 359 women of childbearing age from 51 Alaskan
copies can be made by calling 907-269-8000. The document's                    communities tested as part of Alaska's ongoing Statewide
Executive Summary is reprinted below.                                         Mercury Biomonitoring Program during 2002­2006, none had
                                                                              hair mercury levels of clinical or public health concern as a
Benefits of Fish Consumption                                                  result of eating Alaska fish.
Extensive scientific research has documented the numerous
health, social, cultural and economic benefits of eating fish.                Current data from Alaska's Fish Monitoring Program
Fish is an excellent source of lean protein, omega-3 fatty                    demonstrate that Alaska fish have levels of POPs that are well
acids, antioxidants, and vitamins. A balanced diet that includes              below a level of health concern for consumers.
fish can lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.               Recommendations
Fish is also an important part of a healthy diet for pregnant                 Due to the numerous well-documented health (and cultural)
and nursing women, and young children as the omega-3 fatty                    benefits of fish consumption, teenage boys, adult men, and
acids in fish improve maternal nutrition and brain                            women who cannot become pregnant should continue
development in unborn and young children. Furthermore,                        unrestricted consumption of all fish from Alaska waters.
many Alaska Native people have a strong reliance on fish as                   Women who are or can become pregnant, nursing mothers,
part of their traditional way of life and subsistence diet.                   and children aged 12 years and under should continue
Risks of Fish Consumption                                                     unrestricted consumption of fish from Alaska waters that are
Fish can contain environmental contaminants they pick up                      low in mercury, which include all five species of Alaska
from the water or sediments they live in, or the food they eat.               salmon, pacific cod, walleye pollock, black rockfish, pacific
Concerns about the health risks of contaminants have                          ocean perch, halibut under 20 pounds, and lingcod