DPH: Do Not Eat Pike From Housatonic River

HARTFORD — The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) issued a “do not consume” advisory affecting northern pike from the Housatonic River due to potentially elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a substance that has been linked to adverse health effects in humans.

Data received by state health and environmental officials indicate that northern pike caught along the Housatonic can have PCB levels in a high-risk range, and, therefore, should not be eaten. This advisory is consistent with the existing “do not consume” advice for trout, eels, catfish, and carp on the Housatonic.

“These findings in pike demonstrate that some fish from the Housatonic still have very high levels of PCBs,” stated DPH Commissioner J. Robert Galvin, MD. “These levels underscore the need for anglers to pay close attention to the fish consumption advisories.”

According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (www.epa.gov), “PCBs are mixtures of…organic chemicals with the same…physical properties ranging from oily liquids to waxy solids.” PCBs had many industrial and commercial applications before the EPA banned their production in 1977. Studies have shown that PCB exposure can be linked to health problems in animals, including cancer and neurodevelopmental effects, with some of these effects shown in humans as well.

The Connecticut portion of the Housatonic River is affected by PCB contamination originating from the General Electric plant in Pittsfield, Mass. Pike from the Housatonic River were sampled for the first time in 2004 due to an increased pike population along the river.

The northern pike is Connecticut’s largest fresh water game fish. This advisory applies only to northern pike in the Housatonic River. Other populations of northern pike in Connecticut are unaffected by this advisory.

The data were collected by the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences under contract from GE as part of its semiannual sampling of Housatonic River fish. GE and the State of Connecticut have an agreement for ongoing monitoring of fish in the river.