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TDEC: Some fish from parts of Nolichucky & Pigeon rivers not safe for all to eat

Recreational activities such as boating, swimming, wading, and catch and release fishing carry no risk.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is advising sensitive populations to avoid eating certain species of fish from parts of the Pigeon and Nolichucky Rivers.

TDEC issued a precautionary fish consumption advisory for smallmouth bass and channel catfish in the downstream portions of those rivers because of high mercury levels.

The advisory recommended that women who are nursing or pregnant and children avoid consuming those fish species entirely. Everyone else is advised to limit consumption to one meal a month.

According to TDEC, mercury levels recommended by both the Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration are now being exceeded in both species.

On the Nolichucky, the advisory extends from Douglas Reservoir upstream to the mouth of Bent Creek at river mile 14.9. The advisory does not include Douglas Reservoir itself.

On the Pigeon River, the advisory extends from the mouth on the French Broad River upstream to Vinson Island where Interstate 40 crosses the river near mile 12.4.

Precautionary advisories are issued "so the community can make informed decisions about whether or not to consume the fish they catch," according to TDEC Deputy Commissioner Tisha Calabrese Benton.

Benton said these are issued when contaminant levels could pose a risk for children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and those who eat fish frequently from the same body of water.

They differ from "do not consume" fishing advisories, which are issued when the level of contaminants found in fish would "represent a threat to the general population."

Recreational activities such as boating, swimming, wading, and catch and release fishing carry no risk.

TDEC said that it will immediately begin the process of putting up signs with advisory information at primary public fishing access points.

The organization will also do additional fish tissue sampling on the remaining Tennessee portions of each river this fall.

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