31 July 2023
The Minnesota Department of Health recommends that those 15 years old and younger and those who are or are planning to be pregnant or breastfeeding refrain from eating fish in the Mississippi River from Ford Dam to Hastings Dam and Lake Rebecca.
The warning comes with support from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Previous recommendations included avoiding certain fish because of mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Current pollutants include per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to state officials. The risk is from prolonged exposure.
Fishing can still take place in the areas on a catch and release basis. Alternate locations to fish in the Twin Cities according to the DNR include Bald Eagle Lake, Lower St. Croix River, Lake Nokomis, Rogers Lake and White Bear Lake.
Minnesota Legislature passed and Gov. Tim Walz signed a ban earlier this year on PFAS for non-essential reasons.
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