Advocacy
Seafood Consumption Advisories
While Galveston Bay is an outstanding place to fish, you need to be aware of seafood consumption advisories!
The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) issues seafood consumption advisories when tests on fish and crabs indicate there is an increased risk to human health from the presence of toxic pollutants.
This map shows the seafood consumption advisories that are currently in place in the Galveston Bay system and its tributaries. There are really four areas, each having its own set of fish or crab species of concern. Click here for more details on the seafood consumption advisory map.
Species Affected, and TDSHS Advisories in Each Area of Concern
| Area | Species Affected | Pollutants | TDSHS Advisory Number and Year Issued | |
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The Houston Ship Channel and all contiguous waters upstream of Lynchburg Ferry, including the San Jacinto River below the U.S. Highway 90 bridge. | All species of fish and blue crab. | Dioxin in blue crab and catfish. Organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in all species of fish. | ADV-3 (1990) ADV-20 (2001) ADV-35 (2008) |
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The Houston Ship Channel and all contiguous waters downstream of Lynchburg Ferry and Upper Galveston Bay north of a line from Red Bluff Point to Five Mile Cut Marker to Houston Point. | All catfish species, spotted seatrout, and blue crab. | Dioxin in blue crab. Dioxin and PCBs in catfish and spotted seatrout. | ADV-3 (1990) ADV-28 (2005) ADV-35 (2008) |
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Galveston Bay system, including Chocolate Bay, East Bay, West Bay, Trinity Bay, and contiguous waters. | All catfish species and spotted seatrout. | Dioxin and PCBs. | ADV-35 (2008) |
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Clear Creek upstream and west of Clear Lake. | All species of fish. | PCBs. | ADV-37 (2009) |
Advice You Should Follow for All Areas Except Clear Creek
In each of these three areas for the species listed, the following advice should be followed to decrease risks to human health:
Adults - DO NOT EAT MORE THAN 8 OUNCES PER MONTH OF THE SPECIES LISTED!
Children - DO NOT EAT ANY AMOUNT OF THE SPECIES LISTED!
Women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant - DO NOT EAT ANY AMOUNT OF THE SPECIES LISTED!
Advice You Should Follow for Clear Creek
Everyone - DO NOT EAT ANY SPECIES OF FISH FROM THESE WATERS!
Why Is There a Risk from Consuming the Species Listed in These Areas?
When fish and crab eat, they accumulate toxic pollutants present in the prey they consume or in tainted sediment or water they filter. This process is called bioaccumulation. These toxic materials - such as dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides - are in the environment as a result of spills, leaks, and improper disposal of industrial wastes and can cause illness or disease in humans. These pollutants can especially accumulate in the fatty areas, glands, and organs of fish and crabs. As a result, some species of fish that have higher fat content - such as spotted seatrout and catfish - are listed for the advisories while others - such as red drum, black drum, croaker, and flounder - are not. However, in areas of heavy industry such as above the Lynchburg Ferry, all species of fish as well as blue crabs may have higher concentrations.
How You Can Reduce Your Risk from These Toxins
You should do your best to follow the advisory recommendations for consumption of the species listed in these areas. Instead of eating the same type of fish from the same waterbodies, you should fish for different species from a variety of waterbodies. You should eat smaller, younger fish that have less time to accumulate toxins in their bodies. Last, if you clean and cook the fish or crabs so that you avoid eating their fatty portions, you can reduce your risk.
The Houston-Galveston Area Council's Seafood Advisory Brochure has more information on the toxins and how you can prepare your catch so that your risk is decreased. TDSHS has detailed information on each of these advisories. Click on the following links for PDF versions of each advisory:
These advisories and much more information such as detailed maps, risk characterization studies, and Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the TDSHS Seafood and Aquatic Life Group webpage. Just click on "Fish Consumption Advisory" on the left-hand side of the page.
What is Being Done About Contaminated Seafood?
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Houston-Galveston Area Council have initiated total maximum daily load (TMDL) projects for the Houston Ship Channel, San Jacinto River, Upper Galveston Bay, and Galveston Bay to pinpoint sources of dioxins and PCBs and develop a plan to reduce them. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing a cleanup of the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site, one such source of dioxin to the San Jacinto River and Galveston Bay. You are encouraged to participate as a member of the public in both of these projects!
For more information on the advisories, contact Scott Jones of the Galveston Bay Foundation at 281-332-3381 x209 or e-mail sjones@galvbay.org
