Information on Consumption Advisories, Possession Bans, and Rescinded Orders-Seafood and Aquatic Life
To inform the public of unsafe contaminant levels in fish and shellfishharvested from public waters of Texas, we issue consumption advisories orpossession bans.
Consumption Advisory
Our consumption advisoriesmay recommend limited or no consumption of fish or aquatic life from a body ofwater. This is because tests found contaminants at unsafe levels. Eating morefish or aquatic life than our consumption advisory recommends may posepotential human health risks. It is not illegal to harvest fish or aquatic lifefrom a body of water with a consumption advisory, as long as you follow Texas Parks and WildlifeDepartment harvest regulations.
Possession Ban
A possession ban prohibits the taking of fish or aquatic lifefrom a body of water. These bans are usually because tissue testing indicatesthe likelihood of a serious or imminent threat to public health. If you takefish or aquatic life from a closed or prohibited area, it is a violation ofstate law under the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Rescinded Consumption Advisory or Possession Ban
A rescinded consumption advisory or possession ban is a cancelled consumption advisory or possession ban.
Testing of Water Bodies
Fish and aquatic life in many Texas bodies of water containcontaminants. The level of contaminants, if eaten, may pose a threat to humanhealth. We test fish and aquatic life tissues from Texas public waters to findcontaminant levels. Our testing helps us assess human health risks fromconsumption of fish or aquatic life. We also inform the public about unsafecontaminant levels in fish and aquatic life by issuing consumption advisoriesand possession bans (closures).
We do not routinely test fish and aquatic life for unsafe levelsof contaminants from Texas public waters. We also haven’t tested fish and aquaticlife from all Texas public waters. We test fish and aquatic life as resourcesallow.
Also See:
Texas Fish Consumption Advisory Program Standard Operating Procedures (PDF, 1.9MB)