Seafood Consumption Guidelines
Seafood caught in Georgia is generally of good quality and safe to eat.
Glynn County Guidelines and Seafood Cookbook
Brunswick has a strong industrial past, and manufacturing activities have impacted the marsh environment. For the past two decades the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources have been addressing those impacts through field sampling of fish species inhabiting the marsh and that are commonly consumed.
Eating seafood is healthy and it is part of the coastal culture, but it is important to know which species can be eaten frequently, and which should be dinner less often or not at all. Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant designed materials to help explain the Glynn County fish advisories. The effort includes a community cookbook series that uses recipes alongside educational information to promote how to safely enjoy Georgia’s local seafood cuisine. These materials were created in collaboration with the Rebuild Glynn County Community Development Corporation, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, and members of the coastal community.
Access previous versions of the cookbook:
Cookbooks Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3 and Vol. 4 are available electronically. The Glynn County Seafood Consumption Guidelines handout is also available electronically. Hard copies of all cookbooks can be acquired by contacting Kimberly Andrews at kma77@uga.edu.
Georgia Guidelines
People can find out exactly which fish are safe to eat in their area by reviewing the Environmental Protection Division’s Fish Consumption Guidelines. Local fishing advisories help people enjoy healthy seafood while avoiding risks.
You can also get a more broad overview of seafood consumption information from the Seafood Health Facts website. This resource is a joint effort among many Sea Grant programs across the country and presents a wealth of information for consumers, healthcare providers and academics.
DNR Testing
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources samples fish from water bodies each year to test for contaminants such as PCBs, chlordane and mercury. Most of the fish tested have few or no contaminants and are safe to eat. More details on fish consumption are available in guidelines published by the state of Georgia, including: