MEDIA ADVISORY

2014 Illinois Fish Advisory

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced the 2014 consumption advisories for sport fish caught in Illinois waters. These changes are the result of continued sampling by the Fish Contaminant Monitoring Program and do not suggest that Illinois fish are becoming more or less contaminated.

“The advisories are not meant to discourage people from eating fish, but should be used as a guideline to help anglers and their families decide the types of fish to eat, and how to prepare fish for cooking to reduce possible contaminants,” said IDPH Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck.

The program is a joint effort of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and the departments of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Public Health. The fish are collected by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and tested by IEPA. IDPH issues an annual consumption advisory based on the IEPA test results. This year’s advisory and detailed information can be found on the IDPH website: http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/fishadvisory/index.htm

IDPH continues to implement its Five Year Strategy 2014-2018 to maximize IDPH’s effectiveness, influence and value for promoting wellness, health equity, safety and improved health outcomes. Strategic plan priorities include developing and expanding partnerships; improving data utilization; reducing health disparities; improving regulatory compliance; and branding, marketing and communicating IDPH’s value.
http://www.idph.state.il.us/about/StrategicPlan_Final_2014-2018.pdf