High mercury levels in some Lake Maurepas fish bring meal restrictions, state officials say

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana residents are being urged to limit their consumption of fish from Lake Maurepas in Livingston and St. John the Baptist parishes where high levels of mercury have been detected.

According to a fish consumption advisory issued by the state departments of Health, Environmental Quality and Wildlife and Fisheries, women of childbearing age and children younger than 7 should not eat more than three meals per month of any of the following fish: bigmouth buffalo, bowfin (choupique, grinnel), flathead catfish and yellow bass.

The same group of consumers should also avoid eating two meals per month of any of these fish: black crappie (sac-a-lait), freshwater drum (gaspergou), largemouth bass and warmouth from Lake Maurepas.

There are no consumption limits of the fish for older adults or children 7 and older, according to the advisory.