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Nolichucky and Pigeon fish advisories
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) on Monday issued precautionary fish consumption advisories for smallmouth bass and channel catfish in the downstream portions of the Pigeon River and the Nolichucky River. On the Nolichucky, the advisory extends from Douglas Lake upstream to the mouth of Bent Creek. The advisory does not include Douglas Lake 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. The advisory does not include the whitewater rafting area further east, and other recreational activities such as boating, swimming, wading, and catch and release fishing carry no risk. TDEC advises that pregnant or nursing mothers and children should avoid eating the fish species included in the advisories and that all others limit consumption to one meal per month. “We provide these advisories so the community can make informed decisions about whether or not to consume the fish they catch,” said TDEC Deputy Commissioner Tisha Benton. “Unlike ‘do not consume’ advisories that warn the general population to avoid eating fish from a particular body of water altogether, precautionary fish consumption advisories are specifically directed to sensitive populations such as children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and those who may eat fish very frequently from the same body of water.” The advisories come as a result of tracking of mercury levels for several years by TDEC and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The latest results indicate that in smallmouth bass and channel catfish, mercury trigger points recommended by both the Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration are now being exceeded. TDEC will do additional fish tissue sampling this fall on the remaining Tennessee portions of each river downstream of the North Carolina state line. Additionally, few data are available for walleye, a popular target for fishermen in the Pigeon River. Walleye will be specifically targeted in the fall collections. The department will report the results of the surveys to the public.
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