Louisiana Issues Fish Consumption Advisories for Seven Waterways Due to Elevated Mercury

BATON ROUGE, La. - The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) have issued fish consumption advisories for seven Louisiana waterways after mercury at elevated levels was discovered after recent fish tissue sampling.

The Seven Louisiana Waterways Now Under Fish Consumption Advisories

Two new advisories were added on Thursday, September 24, 2026, one covering the Mermentau River and Lake Arthur and another covering the Vermilion River and Bayou Tortue.

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Officials also updated warnings for the previous included waterways. Here are those five locations. (Click the link for each to read the notice):

• Bayou De Loutre and associated lakes
• Boeuf River
• Lake Bistineau
• Pearl River
• Tew Lake

What Mercury Does to Your Body — And Why Cooking Doesn't Help

According to health officials, eating fish with high mercury levels over a long period of time is bad for you for several reasons.

It harms the nervous system, leading to poor coordination, numbness, blurred vision, and memory loss. It severely affects brain development in fetuses, babies, and young children. High mercury levels over time can also damage the kidneys and liver.

READ MORE: Louisiana Wildlife Agents Issue Oyster Violations

Mercury can enter the aquatic food chain and build up in fish over time. Larger predator fish generally accumulate more mercury than smaller fish.

How to Reduce Your Mercury Exposure If You Fish in Louisiana

One of the big issues with mercury is that it cannot be removed from fish through cooking or cleaning. Choosing smaller fish, varying where locally caught fish come from and following the recommended consumption limits can help reduce exposure, state officials said.