x
Breaking News
More () »

VDH: People should limit consumption of some fish caught locally

The Virginia Department of Health said certain types of fish may contain PCBs which can increase a person's risk for cancer.

GLOUCESTER COUNTY, Va. (WVEC) -- The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) said people should limit the number of certain types of fish that come from local waters that they eat or avoid them altogether.

A sign greets people at Gloucester Point Beach where VDH and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) posted a health advisory on eating fish.

The advisory stated that eating Croaker, Gizzard Shad, and/or Spot from that location may be harmful to people's health because the fish could contain chemicals called PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Eating fish that contain the chemicals could increase people's risk for cancer.

Because of the possibility that the three types of fish at Gloucester Point Beach could be contaminated, VDH recommended that people eat no more than two meals of the fish per month.

The advisory was put in place for the York River from West Point downstream to the mouth near Tue Point and tidal portion of King Creek, Queen Creek, and Wormley Creek.

The department of health advised women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children not to eat any fish contaminated either with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or mercury from the respective advisory areas.

Advisories for other river basins in the Hampton Roads area are in place. VDH's website helps people understand what a fish consumption advisory is as well as to find those advisories in effect.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality routinely collects fish samples from different river basins.

According to the Virginia Department of Health, the advisory in the York River dates to 2004.

Rob Hale with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science said they analyze the fish brought to them by the DEQ.

“It's not against the law to eat the fish, it's a recommendation to try and protect people's health,” Hale said.

Seth Duncan fishes at the Gloucester Point Beach fishing pier often. He's been fishing basically his entire life.

“It's something about when a fish grabs your line and you sit there and fight it, like for an hour,” Duncan said.

Duncan is aware of the advisory and pays very close attention to what he catches.

“When I see that advisory I try to clean the fish and try to tell when there's something in the fish, although you can’t see bacteria,” Duncan said. “I like to be concerned and I like to know what I put in my body.”

Follow 13News Now on Facebook and Twitter

► Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13News Now App.

Before You Leave, Check This Out