Care should be taken when eating fish from certain waterbodies
By Jordan Hansen DAILY MONTANAN
Montanans who consume fish from many of its waterways should take care when doing so, a combined statement from three state agencies says.
The state released updated guidance because per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been found in fish across the state. Updated guidelines, including which areas to take particular care with, can be found on the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks website.
There are 21 new or updated fish advisories, the state said in a release.
PFAS are man-made chemicals that degrade extremely slowly over time and are associated with health issues, including damage to human and animal hormones, reproductive, and immune systems. They are also linked to certain cancers and are sometimes called “forever chemicals.”
In a statement three agencies – FWP, the state Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Environmental Quality – said the updated advisory was based on several years of research.
Additionally, the agencies said in the release that they, “are not regulatory standards” and are meant to make people more aware of potential risks.
“This advisory is based on the agencies’ published results of 2023 and 2024 fish tissue and surface water sampling efforts for PFAS in select waterbodies across the state,” the state release says. “The goal of the PFAS sampling effort was to screen edible-sized fish for PFAS contamination in waterbodies across Montana.”
The new regulations ask the public to be cognizant of how often they’re eating the fish per month based on the size of the fish. For example, the state is advising men to not eat Walleye larger than 18 inches from Bighorn Reservoir and women and children to not eat Walleye larger than 14 inches.
“While it is important to be aware that eating fish caught in Montana may expose individuals to low levels of PFAS in some waterbodies, eating a moderate amount of a variety of fish can provide significant health benefits for many people,” the release says.
Additionally, the state said the data is likely not representative of every waterbody in the state.
“Sample locations were selected based on proximity to confirmed or potential sources of PFAS and distributed across important regional fisheries,” the release says. “At least one PFAS chemical was detected in fish tissue at 12 of the 14 locations sampled and in surface water at 2 of the 14 locations.”
Montana developed a plan to look at the issue in 2020. It’s also been a major issue in Washington state, including firefighting foam at an airport north of Seattle and issues around some military bases in the state. Multiple military installations in Montana are also listed as “PFAS sites of concern” by DEQ.
