At high doses, mercury can affect your central nervous system, triggering such health problems as memory loss, slurred speech, hearing loss, lack of coordination, loss of sensation in fingers and toes, reproductive problems, coma, and possibly death. Fetuses and babies are most at risk because their developing nervous systems are much more sensitive to mercury than adults nervous systems. An estimated 60,000 children born each year in the United States are at risk of suffering neurological and learning problems because their mothers eat large amounts of mercury-contaminated fish and seafood during their pregnancy. Fish is good food and can give your child a healthy start if you follow the state s advice on how to safely eat fish caught from Wisconsin waters. Continue to enjoy eating fish.
Most people have a very low risk of suffering mercury-related health problems.
If you eat a lot of fish, you can lower your exposure to mercury by eating fish known to have low mercury levels. Small fish such as perch and bluegill have less mercury than large predator fish, such as walleye, northern pike or bass. It s safe to catch and eat fish from any of the lakes or rivers on the advisory as long as you follow the safe eating guidelines. I ve eaten fish from a lake that has just been put on the advisory. It s important to remember is that MOST people do not eat enough to fish to cause a problem.