Why are there fish consumption advisories on the Hudson River?
PCBs bioaccumulate (see below) in fish. In 1976, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) banned all fishing in the upper Hudson River, from the Troy Dam north through Fort Edward, because PCB levels in Hudson River fish were in excess of Food and Drug Administration limitations. In August 1995, a catch and release fishing program was instituted by NYSDEC in the upper Hudson where the total ban had previously been in place. Although it is now legal to catch and release fish in the Hudson north of the Troy Dam, one can still not safely consume the fish caught. In addition, there are health advisories posted for various Hudson River species in the river south of Troy. Women of childbearing age and children are at greatest risk.
