RMA = Recreational Marine Area

Puget Sound Fish and Shellfish Consumption Advice

• Puget Sound Crab Advice

• Puget Sound Fish Consumption Advice, factsheet (PDF)

• Human Health Evaluation of Contaminants in Puget Sound Fish, report (PDF)

• Shellfish Closures Due to Pollution or Biotoxin Contamination

• Statewide Fish Advisory for Mercury 

Puget Sound Links

• For definition of boundaries for each recreational marine area check the Marine Area Definitions and Codes, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

• Puget Sound Partnership provides information about community effort of citizens, governments, tribes, scientists, and businesses working together to restore and protect Puget Sound.

• Department of Ecology, Washington Waters is a campaign to provide a framework to help people change some of their behaviors that pollute Washington's lakes, rivers, wetlands, and marine waters.

Back to Fish Advisory State Map

The Washington State Department of Health has completed an assessment of contaminants in Puget Sound fish. The assessment considered data gathered by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife under the Puget Sound Assessment and Monitoring Program. We have used this assessment to update advice on eating fish as part of a healthy diet. Learn more at:

• Puget Sound Fish Consumption Advice, Factsheet (PDF)

• Human Health Evaluation of Contaminants in Puget Sound Fish, 2006 Report (PDF)

Main Contaminants

The main contaminants of concern are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury, which once released into the environment, move up through the food chain into fish, marine mammals, and humans. Mercury and PCBs have been shown to cause behavioral and learning deficits in children exposed in the womb, so meal limits of certain fish are especially important for women of childbearing age and young children.

Choose Salmon

While Washingtonians are encouraged to choose salmon as part of a healthy diet, we recommend limiting Puget Sound Chinook salmon to one meal per week and resident Chinook (blackmouth) to two meals per month. The public can safely consume 2-3 meals per week of coho, chum, pink, and sockeye salmon from Puget Sound. Consumption advice for flatfish (such as English sole, flounder, sanddab) and rockfish can be found by selecting the Marine Areas on this page.

Eat Fish, Be Smart, Choose Wisely

“It’s good to know that many fish in Puget Sound, especially our salmon, remain a healthy choice for the dinner table,” said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky. “Our message is to eat fish, be smart, and choose wisely. We’re providing clear information on the many choices of fish that are low in contamination; let's also be clear about the need to keep toxics out of Puget Sound.”

Healthy Fish Guide

The Department of Health has created the Healthy Fish Guide, a list of fish that are low in contaminants along with those that should be eaten less frequently. It's a reference that will help people make sure that fish remains part of a healthy diet. The guide highlights many fish commonly available in markets that can be eaten two times per week in accordance with recommendations from the American Heart Association for good heart health.