Fisherman and health advisory survey

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2008 LOUISIANA RECREATIONAL FISHERMAN AND HEALTH ADVISORY SURVEY REPORT

Release Date: 11/03/2009
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Socioeconomic Research Development Section (SRD) has posted a new research publication titled "2008 Louisiana Recreational Fisherman and Health Advisory Survey Report" on the LDWF Web site.

The research project was funded by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) and was completed in June, 2009. A copy of the report can be down loaded from the LDWF Web site at http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/education/economics/.

The study was designed to measure Louisiana recreational fishermen's awareness of fish consumption advisories or warnings and determine how effective the advisories have been in influencing their fishing and consumption patterns.

Fish consumption advisories are issued by DHH in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and LDWF. These advisories are issued for certain water bodies and fish species when there are concerns over the potential health risks associated with the consumption of seafood that contains toxic materials including mercury and organic pollutants.

Results showed that approximately three-fifths of recreational fishermen (58 percent) were aware of the health/fish consumption advisories. Newspapers (or magazines) and television topped the list of the ways by which fishermen became aware of the advisories. Recreational fishermen who responded to the survey reported that they consumed fish an average of about four times per month.

Approximately three-fourths of respondents who answered the questions on the effects of fish consumption warnings on their fishing activities reported they did not change their fishing activities as a result of the warnings. Only three out of 10 respondents reported they changed their fish eating habits as a result of the fish consumption warnings.