Mercury warnings eased on a tasty fish

It remains risky to eat many species of South Carolina fish because of mercury poisoning, but state regulators are scaling back their precautions against consuming one saltwater species.

Atlantic tilefish, a tasty predator found from New England to the Gulf of Mexico, is now considered safe to eat in moderation, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control said Tuesday.

DHEC previously had said it was risky to eat any tilefish from the state’s coastal waters because of toxic mercury pollution.

“For individuals not in at-risk groups, DHEC now recommends a maximum of one meal per week of Atlantic tilefish rather than avoiding this species completely,’’ the agency said in a news release.

In updating their annual health warnings on fish, agency officials said tests found less mercury in tilefish than previously thought in South Carolina. The conclusion followed a joint effort by DHEC and the state Department of Natural Resources to gather more data on saltwater species, the release said.

Agency officials released their updated fish advisory list late Tuesday afternoon and did not provide any further details on how they arrived at their conclusions on tilefish.

Tilefish, which despite warnings has shown up on some restaurant menus, is a mild-tasting white fish that feeds mostly on crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimp, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That gives tilefish a sweet flavor similar to crabs or lobster, the agency says.

Although tilefish restrictions were eased, nearly 70 waterways in the Palmetto State still carry advisories against eating more than moderate amounts of some fish, many of the species long-lived predators such as bass. In some cases, the advisories warn against eating any fish.

People who routinely eat mercury-polluted fish can suffer brain damage and nervous system disorders, particularly young children. Women who are pregnant are advised not to eat any fish that carry mercury advisories.

For saltwater fish, the DHEC advisory still warns against eating any shark and large king mackerel. DHEC is continuing to advise people not to eat more than one meal per month of swordfish or cobia.

Mercury pollution is a problem in South Carolina and many other Deep South states, where lazy coastal rivers are ideal for mercury to build up in fish. Over time, mercury from industrial plants has rained back to earth and slowly accumulated in some species of fish.

The remainder of DHEC’s fish consumption advisory list remains virtually unchanged from last year, although the agency did ease restrictions on eating bass from one Berkeley County creek.

This story was originally published June 27, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Mercury warnings eased on a tasty fish."