As the 2006 Pennsylvania Trout Season opens on April 15, special online videos from WNEP-TV show you how to safely clean and cook the fish you catch.

Fish are high in protein and are a valuable source of vitamins, minerals and beneficial oils that are low in saturated fat. Trout are especially high in vitamin B-12 and omega-3 fatty acids, which improve cardiovascular health and brain development in children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, American Heart Association and other nutrition experts recommend eating up to 12 ounces, or 2-3 servings, of fish per week; with a one-meal-a-week limitation on certain large ocean fish.

To help Pennsylvanians make educated choices about which fish from the state's many waters to eat and how often, the commonwealth conducts regular sampling and testing of wild fish, as well as hatchery trout released to Pennsylvania streams. Because exposure to high levels of various chemicals can increase certain health risks, this testing enables the commonwealth to make both general and specific recommendations.

As general guidance, the departments of Health, Environmental Protection, and Agriculture, along with the Fish and Boat Commission, suggest that pregnant and breast-feeding women, women of childbearing age and children can make sport-caught fish the source for one of their weekly meals of fish.

More detailed recommendations vary based on specific test results. For instance, trout raised at Pennsylvania's eight hatcheries are regularly screened for polychlorinated biphenyls. In 2006, tests have shown no need for additional special guidelines for eating these fish. A half-pound meal of hatchery-raised trout for a 150-lb person would be a good addition to the weekly menu.

All sport-caught fish in Pennsylvania are subject to a one-meal-per-week consumption advisory. In some instances, testing of wild fish in specific areas suggests they should be eaten less often, or in rare cases, not at all.

Anglers can find these more detailed recommendations in the Pennsylvania Fishing Summary Booklet issued when a PA fishing license is purchased.

Information is also available on DEP’s Fish Advisories webpage.

The 2006 Pennsylvania Trout Season starts at 8 a.m. on April 15.

For more details, including information on the location of great trout fishing waters all over the state, select the “Fishing" from the Fish and Boat Commission homepage.

4/14/2006