You Can Eat More Striped Bass from Chesapeake Bay, According to Revised Maryland Fish Consumption Ad

New tests by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) show lower levels of contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay’s striped bass (rockfish), prompting the agency to increase its recommendation for the amount of the popular fish residents can safely eat.

Revised fish consumption advisories increase the recommended meal limits for striped bass caught in the Bay for nearly every population group.

The recommended meal limits for the general population for smaller striped bass increased by 50 percent, from two meals to three meals per month

The advisories no longer include the recommendation that had existed for women and children for certain striped bass

The new recommendations stem from recent test results that show a significant decline in PCB levels in striped bass from Maryland waters. Median PCB levels fell by more than half in fish analyzed between 2001-2005 versus in 2009-2010.

Data also suggest that contaminant levels are even lower in striped bass fillets prepared without fatty portions of the fish.

“Contamination has decreased in the striped bass we tested,” said MDE Acting Secretary Robert M. Summers. “Although we do not have the data to identify a specific explanation for the decline, PCBs have been banned in the United States since 1979, and we’re encouraged by this positive indication of the improving quality of our waters.”

MDE has also released new consumption advisories for bluefish caught in the Bay. Based on new data, MDE recommends a limit of two meals per month for bluefish less than 15 inches long. Residents should avoid eating bluefish larger than 15 inches.

Fish consumption advisories provide recommended limits on how often certain fish can be eaten and still enjoy health benefits while minimizing risks. For Maryland waters, fish consumption advisories are available on MDE’s website and posted at many public fishing areas.

For more information about the revised striped bass consumption advisory, including detailed consumption advisory charts, visit MDE’s website.