We’re going fishing! Not so fast.

Before you eat that fish you caught, you might want to check with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) which,

in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Conservation, put out its annual fish consumption advisory list yesterday.

The report lists contaminants in Missouri water, such as Mercury and lead, and notes what fish are carrying what. “All fish contain some small amount of chemical contaminants,” says the DHSS. “In most

instances and for most people, the health benefits of eating fish

outweigh the potential health risks from contaminants. However, there

are occasions when DHSS has determined that limited or even no

consumption of fish is appropriate for some people.”

Walleye is now in the “limited-consumption advisory” due to mercury contamination. If you do your fishing locally in Jackson County, the DHSS is asking you to eat “no more than one

meal per month of carp and channel catfish… due to presence of chlordane and PCBs.” That’s if it’s caught in on the Blue River in the area between Minor Park and the Missouri River.

Pregnant women should only eat one portion a month of walleye and various bass. On the do-not-eat list are carp, sunfish, redhorse, or “other suckers” caught in the Big River in Jefferson County and Sunfish in Big Creek.

Finally, “anglers are advised not to place such items [fishing tackle] in their mouths.” Right.

The full report includes tips on how to fillet your fish to minimize risks from lead and other bad stuff. Kansas, meanwhile, released its report back in December, advising, among other things, to eat only one serving per week of any fish caught in the Blue River from 69 Highway to the Missouri border.