Eating fish is an important part of a healthy diet and may help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Fish are rich in vitamins, low in fat, and contain healthy protein. Depending on the age of the fish, the type of fish, and the condition of the water the fish lives in, the levels of mercury found in fish are different.
Learn more about the benefits of eating seafood and fish to avoid for certain individuals, such as children, pregnant women, and women of childbearing age.
Printable fish Advisories
Florida-specific guidelines to make eating choices easier and information on how much to consume based on tests of various freshwater, marine, and estuarine waterbodies.
Search Fish Advisories
Interactive search of Florida waters for localized guidance on how much fish to consume based on tests of various freshwater, marine, and estuarine waterbodies
Shellfish Harvesting Status
Monitor your local shellfish harvesting status to get the latest information concerning the health and safety of Florida seafood.
Guidelines for Fish Consumption by Individual
Children and Women of Childbearing Age, Pregnant, or Nursing
There are plenty of safe, delicious fish options for pregnant or soon-to-be pregnant women to enjoy.
Fish are especially wonderful for women who are expecting because they provide so many nutrients for boosting a baby’s growth and development, such as fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, a type of acid that supports brain and eye development and heart health.
For most people, the risk of eating mercury-exposed fish is not a health concern, but developing fetuses and young children are more sensitive to the effects mercury has on the brain.
Some fish you eat may not have been caught from water bodies tested for mercury. In cases where women of childbearing age and young children do not know if the fish has been tested, or when it has been purchased from a store or restaurant, they should:
- Not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
- Eat up to 12 ounces a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Commonly eaten seafood that are low in mercury include shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
- Only eat one 6 ounce meal per month of largemouth bass, bowfin, and gar.
- Eat up to 6 ounces of albacore tuna per week and a second meal of a fish low in mercury, since albacore (white tuna) has more mercury than canned light tuna.
Additional Resources
Anglers or Catching Fish
Florida is home to world-class fishing and world-class seafood. Fishing as a sport and as a source for delicious food is both a pastime and an industry in Florida. Learn about the precautions you should take while enjoying the best Florida has to offer by checking local fish advisories based on non-HABs related contaminants and by monitoring the local shellfish harvesting statuses to get the latest information concerning the health and safety of Florida seafood related to HABs and other standards.
View Florida’s guidelines on fishing regulations from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Seafood to Avoid
Puffer Fish
Eating puffer fish (also called blowfish) can cause saxitoxin poisoning which can lead to neurological symptoms such as tingling, burning, numbness, drowsiness, incoherent speech, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, the poisoning can cause death.
Certain Seafood from Active HAB Locations
Harmful algal blooms (HAB) can be found among our saltwater, freshwater, and brackish waterbodies, usually during the warmer months of the year.