Northeast Ohio’s famous fish can now be safely eaten four times as frequently — moving from the once-a-month list to the once-a-week list — according to a report released by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The promotion is the result of lower chemical levels in the fish, a decline tied to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement passed in the 1970s, according to Roger Knight, who works for the Lake Erie fisheries program at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The state regularly collects tissue samples from different types of fish and tests them for levels of various chemical. The walleye — which has been on the once-a-month list for several years — has seen gradual improvements over the years, according to Knight.

It’s not just individual walleye that are getting healthier. The population is strong, too, and Knight doesn’t expect the fish’s safety elevation to affect that.

And walleyes aren’t the only fish feeling the effect of the cleaner water.
http://www.fishfry.com/Photo by Seawolf Lake Erie Sport Fishing Charter

“ Lake Erie is pretty healthy,” Knight said, “and this round of tests is particularly optimistic.”

“There are still some trouble spots and fish, but the benefits of eating these fish outweigh the risks.”

Here is the low down on the fish eating:
Walleye 23 inches and larger used to carry a one-meal-a-month advisory. It can now be eaten once a week, the EPA said in a news release.

Lake Erie channel catfish 16 inches and longer have been upgraded from "do not eat" to a limit of one meal every two months.

The advisories for Ohio River flathead catfish and small-mouth buffalo fish have changed from one meal every two months to one meal a month.

Ohio has issued annual fish consumption advisories for 15 years to help Ohio sports fishermen
decide how to safely eat their catch.

Several species of fish studied need more stringent advisories for the following water bodies:
Dow Lake, East Fork Lake, Lake Erie, Little Miami River, Mahoning River, Muskingum River, Ohio River and West Branch Reservoir.

A statewide advisory of one meal per week for most fish remains in place due to mercury. Mercury poses the greatest risk for women of child-bearing age, pregnant and nursing mothers and children under 15.

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