Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project

What is the Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project?

The project is a multi-year initiative of the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH). The goal of the project is for all anglers and others who eat fish from the Hudson River to know about and follow the New York State fish advisories. The project area extends from Hudson Falls to the New York City Battery. (PDF, 156KB, 1pp.)

What are the project objectives?

  1. To encourage anglers and other fish consumers to follow the health advisories.
  2. To promote awareness of the advisories by posting signs at major fishing access sites on the River.
  3. To maintain advisory awareness through education and promotional activities to targeted populations.
  4. To identify reasons that anglers or other fish consumers may not follow the fish advisories and to modify outreach activities so they are more effective.

    In short, the project aims to

    • make people aware of the Hudson River fish advisories,
    • help people understand the advisory messages and
    • encourage people to follow the advisories.

What are some of the key project messages?

  • Fish are nutritious and good to eat, but some fish have levels of chemicals that may be harmful to health.
  • The NYSDOH provides advice for eating sportfish from NY state water bodies, including the Hudson River. The advice is a guide to how much fish is OK to eat, if any, and how to clean and cook fish to keep chemicals low.
  • Women of childbearing age and children under 15 are advised to not eat any fish from the Hudson River.

How will the Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project do this outreach?

In addition to the outreach efforts that can be accomplished at the state level, we want to work in partnership with other state and local agencies and any other groups that share our goal.

Partners might include:

  • Commercial Fisherman
  • Recreational Anglers
  • Boating Community Representatives
  • Environmental Justice Advocates
  • Immigrant Rights Advocates
  • Local Health Officials
  • Environmental Conservation Officials
  • Parks & Recreation Officials
  • Health Care Provider Representatives
  • Community Group Leaders
  • Food Pantry and Community Food Networks

What resources are available as part of the project?

We expect one aspect of the project to be a small grants program. We hope the grants will encourage partner organizations to propose innovative ideas that come from their understanding of local people and their customs. In fall 2008, we plan to host meetings at a number of locations along the Hudson to discuss the project and opportunities for grant assistance.