New York City Region Fish Advisories
Special Regional Advice
The New York State Department of Health advises the public to avoid eating any fish or crabs from Paerdegat Basin or 200 yards from the mouth of Paerdegat Basin (in a small portion of Jamaica Bay). Please check www.health.ny.gov/fish to see whether this advice still in effect. The public is also reminded that all New York City waters are closed to shellfishing (harvest of clams, mussels, oysters or scallops).
Advice by Waterbody
 Waterbody1 (County) |
 Fish |
 Men Over 15 & Women Over 50 |
 Women Under 50 & Children Under 15 |
 Chemicals of Concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Kill3 (Richmond) | Blue crab meat | Up to 4 meals/month (six crabs per meal) | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium | |
| Atlantic needlefish, Bluefish, Rainbow smelt | Up to 1 meal/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| American eel, Gizzard shad, Striped bass, White perch | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| All other fish | Up to 4 meals/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| Atlantic Ocean/Long Island South Shore2,3 (Nassau, Queens, Suffolk) | Weakfish | Greater than 25", up to 1 meal/month; Less than 25", up to 4 meals/month | Greater than 25", DON'T EAT; Less than 25", up to 1 meal/month | PCBs |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium | |
| Bluefish | Up to 4 meals/month | Greater than 20", up to 1 meal/month; Less than 20", up to 4 meals/month | PCBs | |
| American eel, Striped bass | Up to 4 meals/month | Up to 1 meal/month | PCBs | |
| East River to Throgs Neck Bridge2,3 (Queens, New York, Kings, Bronx) | Blue crab meat | Up to 4 meals/month (six crabs per meal) | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Cadmium |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Cadmium, Dioxin | |
| Channel catfish, Gizzard shad, White catfish | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs | |
| Atlantic needlefish, Bluefish, Carp, Goldfish, Rainbow smelt, Striped bass, White perch | Up to 1 meal/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs | |
| All other fish | Up to 4 meals/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs | |
| Harlem River2,3 (New York, Bronx) | Blue crab meat | Up to 4 meals/month (six crabs per meal) | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Cadmium |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Cadmium, Dioxin | |
| Channel catfish, Gizzard shad, White catfish | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, | |
| Atlantic needlefish, Bluefish, Carp, Goldfish, Rainbow smelt, Striped bass, White perch | Up to 1 meal/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs | |
| All other fish | Up to 4 meals/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs | |
| Hudson River2,3 | See Hudson River and Tributaries | |||
| Jamaica Bay2,3 (Nassau, Kings, Queens) | Weakfish | Greater than 25", up to 1 meal/month; Less than 25", up to 4 meals/month | Greater than 25", DON'T EAT; Less than 25", up to 1 meal/month | PCBs |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium | |
| Bluefish | Up to 4 meals/month | Greater than 20", up to 1 meal/month; Less than 20", up to 4 meals/month | PCBs | |
| American eel, Striped bass | Up to 4 meals/month | Up to 1 meal/month | PCBs | |
| Kill Van Kull2,3 (Richmond) | Blue crab meat | Up to 4 meals/month (six crabs per meal) | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium | |
| Atlantic needlefish, Bluefish, Rainbow smelt | Up to 1 meal/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| American eel, Gizzard shad, Striped bass, White perch | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| All other fish | Up to 4 meals/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| Long Island Sound2,3 (Nassau, Westchester, Queens, Suffolk,Bronx) | Weakfish | Greater than 25", up to 1 meal/month; Less than 25", up to 4 meals/month | Greater than 25", DON'T EAT; Less than 25", up to 1 meal/month | PCBs |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium | |
| Bluefish | Up to 4 meals/month | Greater than 20", up to 1 meal/month; Less than 20", up to 4 meals/month | PCBs | |
| American eel, Striped bass | Up to 4 meals/month | Up to 1 meal/month | PCBs | |
| Lower New York Bay, south of Verrazano Narrows Bridge2,3 (Kings, Richmond) | Weakfish | Greater than 25", up to 1 meal/month; Less than 25", up to 4 meals/month | Greater than 25", DON'T EAT; Less than 25", up to 1 meal/month | PCBs |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium | |
| Bluefish | Up to 4 meals/month | Greater than 20", up to 1 meal/month; Less than 20", up to 4 meals/month | PCBs | |
| American eel, Striped bass | Up to 4 meals/month | Up to 1 meal/month | PCBs | |
| Newark Bay2,3 (Richmond) | Blue crab meat | Up to 4 meals/month (six crabs per meal) | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium | |
| Atlantic needlefish, Bluefish, Rainbow smelt | Up to 1 meal/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| American eel, Gizzard shad, Striped bass, White perch | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| All other fish | Up to 4 meals/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| Raritan Bay, east of Wolfe's Pond Park2,3 (Richmond) | Weakfish | Greater than 25", up to 1 meal/month; Less than 25", up to 4 meals/month | Greater than 25", DON'T EAT; Less than 25", up to 1 meal/month | PCBs |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium | |
| Bluefish | Up to 4 meals/month | Greater than 20", up to 1 meal/month; Less than 20", up to 4 meals/month | PCBs | |
| American eel, Striped bass | Up to 4 meals/month | Up to 1 meal/month | PCBs | |
| Raritan Bay, west of Wolfe's Pond Park2,3 (Richmond) | Blue crab meat | Up to 4 meals/month (six crabs per meal) | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium |
| Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium | |
| Atlantic needlefish, Bluefish, Rainbow smelt, Striped bass | Up to 1 meal/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| American eel, Gizzard shad, White perch | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| All other fish | Up to 4 meals/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| Upper New York Bay, north of Verrazano Narrows Bridge2,3 (Richmond, New York) | Crab or lobster tomalley (hepatopancreas, mustard) and cooking liquid | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium |
| Blue crab meat | Up to 4 meals/month (six crabs per meal) | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin, Cadmium | |
| Atlantic needlefish, Bluefish, Rainbow smelt, Striped bass | Up to 1 meal/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| American eel, Gizzard shad, White perch | DON'T EAT | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
| All other fish | Up to 4 meals/month | DON'T EAT | PCBs, Dioxin | |
- 1 The specific health advisories for the waters listed above also apply to tributaries and connected waters if there are no dams, falls or barriers to stop the fish from moving upstream.
- 2 DON'T EAT the soft "green stuff" (mustard, tomalley, liver or hepatopancreas) found in the body section of crabs and lobsters from any waters because cadmium, PCBs and other contaminants concentrate there. As contaminants are transferred to cooking liquid, you should also discard crab or lobster cooking liquid.
- 3 Harvest/possession of American eel for food from the Hudson, East, and Harlem Rivers and fishing for/possession of American Shad from the Hudson, East and Harlem Rivers and New York State marine water is prohibited per NYS DEC regulations.
Waterbody Map
