Raincatcher
Oregon Health Authority
We're issuing recommendations on the amount of sturgeon from the lower Columbia and lower Willamette rivers that people should eat: ow.ly/C2oy50Igpma
Fish tissue data from Oregon DEQ show polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at levels of concern in these river zones.
PCBs in sturgeon from the lower Willamette River are much higher than PCBs in sturgeon from the lower Columbia River. This makes the calculated meal recommendations for the lower Willamette more restrictive than those calculated for the lower Columbia.
A meal is about the size and thickness of your or your child’s hand or one ounce of uncooked fish for every 20 pounds of body weight.
Meal recommendations for sturgeon in the lower Columbia river: 7 meals per month for pregnant people, nursing mothers, children, and people 65 and older. 8 meals per month for men and women beyond childbearing age.
For sturgeon in the lower Willamette River, the meal recommendation is 1 meal per month.
As future data becomes available for sturgeon from the lower Columbia and lower Willamette rivers, OHA will evaluate and update the advisory meal allowances as needed.
When fishing in the lower Columbia River, lower Willamette River and Multnomah Channel, we advise fishers to visit healthoregon.org/fishadv for a list of other areas and water bodies with existing fish advisories and recommended meal allowances.