Mar 30, 2023
For Immediate Release
Contact: Amy Gilson
(916) 764-0955
Amy.Gilson@oehha.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO – An updated fish advisory issued today for Pyramid Lake in Los Angeles County provides safe-eating advice for black bass species, bullhead species, catfish species, Rainbow Trout, Striped Bass and sunfish species.
Pyramid Lake is located 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) developed the recommendations based on the levels of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in fish caught from the lake.
“Many fish have nutrients that may reduce the risk of heart disease and are excellent sources of protein,” said OEHHA Director Dr. Lauren Zeise. “By following our guidelines for fish caught in Pyramid Lake, people can safely eat fish low in chemical contaminants and enjoy the well-known health benefits of fish consumption.”
When consuming fish from Pyramid Lake, the following advice is issued:
Women ages 18 – 49 and children ages 1 – 17 should not eat black bass species, bullhead species, or Striped Bass. They may safely eat a maximum of five total servings per week of Rainbow Trout, or one total serving per week of catfish species or sunfish species.
Women ages 50 and older and men ages 18 and older should not eat bullhead species. They may safely eat a maximum of seven total servings per week of Rainbow Trout; or three total servings per week of sunfish species; or two total servings per week of catfish species; or one total serving per week of black bass species or Striped Bass.
One serving is an eight-ounce fish fillet, measured prior to cooking, which is roughly the size and thickness of your hand. Children should eat smaller servings. For small fish species, several individual fish may make up a single serving.
A poster with the safe-eating advice for Pyramid Lake is available on OEHHA’s website in both English and Spanish. For fish species found in Pyramid Lake that are not included in this advisory, OEHHA recommends following the statewide advisory for eating fish from California lakes and reservoirs without site-specific advice.
Mercury is released into the environment from mining and burning coal. It accumulates in fish in the form of methylmercury, which can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in developing children and fetuses. Because of this, OEHHA provides a separate set of recommendations specifically for children up to age 17 and women of childbearing age (18 – 49 years).
PCBs are a group of industrial chemicals. At high levels of exposure, they can cause health problems, including cancer. Although they were banned in the United States in the late 1970s, PCBs persist in the environment from spills, leaks or improper disposal. PCBs accumulate in the skin, fat and some internal organs of fish. To reduce exposure from PCB-contaminated fish, OEHHA recommends eating only the skinless fillet (meat) portion of the fish.
OEHHA’s fish advisory recommendations are based on the levels of contaminants, such as mercury and PCBs, that persist in the environment and accumulate in fish. They are independent of any advisories to limit fish intake due to freshwater or estuarine harmful algal blooms (HABs). Before fishing, check the California HABs Portal to see if there are recommended HAB advisories and always practice healthy water habits.
Eating fish in amounts slightly greater than the advisory’s recommendations is not likely to cause health problems if it is done occasionally, such as eating fish caught during an annual vacation.
The Pyramid Lake advisory joins more than 130 other OEHHA advisories that provide site-specific, health-based fish consumption advice for many of the places where people catch and eat fish in California, including lakes, rivers, bays, reservoirs and the California coast. Advisories are available on OEHHA’s Fish Advisories webpage.
OEHHA’s mission is to protect and enhance the health of Californians and the environment through scientific evaluations that inform, support, and guide regulatory and other actions in the state.
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