New fishing advisories issued this week by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) warn against consuming and over consumption of fish caught in some local waters.

The newly issued advisories represent the safe number of meals of that species of fish that can be eaten in a given period of time, such as meals per week, meals per month or do not eat any.

A meal portion consists of 6 ounces of cooked fish or 8 ounces of raw fish.

To determine a waterbody should have an advisory, ADPH teams with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) collects and tests fish from Alabama’s lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries and offshore waters.

Officials say that fish become contaminated through erosion, storm water runoff, industrial and municipal discharges, agricultural practices, nonpoint source pollution and other factors.

Additionally, older fish and fish which eat other fish may accumulate more contaminants than smaller, younger fish.

The main contaminants in Alabama are mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Perflouralkyl sulfonate (PFOS).

Locally ADPH has issued the following advisories.

• Conecuh River – at the Alabama-Florida Line, largemouth bass, limit one meal per month. Contaminant: Mercury;

• Frank Jackson Reservoir — at the dam forebay, do not eat any largemouth bass. Contaminant: Mercury;

• Gantt Reservoir – lake wide sample, no restriction on channel catfish and limit two meals per month of largemouth bass. Contaminant: Mercury.

• Lake Jackson, Florala – do not eat any largemouth bass. Contaminant: Mercury;

• Patsaliga Creek, Patsaliga Creek embayment, limit two meals per month, largemouth bass. Contaminant: Mercury;

• Point A Reservoir – lower reservoir, dam forebay, limit two meals per month of channel catfish and do not eat any largemouth bass. Contaminant: Mercury;

• Sepulga River – in the vicinity of Brooklyn, do not any species. Contaminant: Mercury.

• Yellow River – at County Road 4 bridge, do not eat any largemouth or spotted bass and limit two meals per month of spotted sucker. Contaminant: Mercury.

New and updated consumption advisories issued for the 36 bodies of water tested can be found on the ADPH website. http://www.adph.org/tox/index.asp?id=1360