The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is pleased to announce the release of the 2018 regional Eat Safe Fish Guides. These guides can help residents plan their fish meals to ensure they are minimizing exposure to chemicals that can build up in fish, while still getting all of the health benefits eating fish provides.

“The guide essentially provides a nutrition label for chemicals in locally-caught fish,” said Nick Lyon, director at MDHHS. “The Eat Safe Fish Guides are easy to use and important resources that help families in Michigan consume fish safely.”

MDHHS only tests the portions of fish that people eat – typically the filets. The results from the state laboratory are used to determine what is safe for people to consume over the long-term. There are many health benefits to eating fish, and the Eat Safe Fish Guides help individuals choose the fish that are best for them and their families.

Unlike the Michigan Department of Natural Resource’s Michigan Fishing Guide, the MDHHS Eat Safe Fish Guides are not laws or regulations and no one is required to use them. Instead, the guides are a free resource for Michigan residents who would like information regarding what fish and how much is healthy to consume from various bodies of water across the state.

Chemicals in fish are a worldwide problem that is not limited to Michigan and other Great Lakes states, but it is important to note that fish from some areas in Michigan are more contaminated than others. By using the Eat Safe Fish Guides, Michigan fish consumers can be confident that they are making informed choices about eating the fish they catch from their local lake or river.

MDHHS has a lot of Eat Safe Fish educational materials available at no cost to you. The two that may be of most interest for libraries around the state are our Eat Safe Fish in Michigan brochures and/or our regional Eat Safe Fish Guides.

Eat Safe Fish in Michigan brochures - https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71548_54783_54784_54785_58671-296069--,00.html
- Pros: The brochures are small and provide the general concepts of our fish consumption guidelines. They’re available in 5 other languages besides English.
- Cons: They do not list area-specific guidelines. They require the patron to take another step and either go online to download the Guides directly or call our toll-free number to request a Guide be mailed to them for free to get specific safe fish information.
Eat Safe Fish Guides – https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71548_54783_54784_54785_58671-296074--,00.html
- Pros: The Guides list specific information about fish species from lakes and rivers around the state that have been tested for contamination.
- Cons: They are multi-page booklets and harder to store when space is limited.

Recommendation: Order as many brochures as you’d like (they come in bundles of 100), and then order just a few guides and keep them on hand as a Library Copy or for people who may not have great access to resources.

To order supplies of either of the documents above or anything else we have available, please visit: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71548_54783_54784_54785-338547--,00.html and fill out this form (it says it’s for healthcare providers only, but it’s ok). You can also call 1-800-648-6942 to place your order over the phone or ask follow-up questions.

Thank you for your partnership!

- Michelle

Michelle Bruneau, MA

Division of Environmental Health
Michigan Department of Health & Human Services

333 S. Grand Ave., 3^rd Floor,

Lansing, Michigan 48933

Ph: 517-282-4680
bruneaum@michigan.gov

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