Seafood caught in Georgia is generally of good quality and safe to eat. Local and state agencies test fish for contaminants such as mercury, PCBs and other substances. Seafood advisories can help you make informed choices when catching your own fish.
Glynn County Guidelines
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.
Click below to download the Pride in Glynn County Seafood Cookbook and the Glynn County Seafood Consumption Guidelines.
Access previous versions of the cookbook:
Cookbooks Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3 are 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 Department of Natural Resources’ Fish Consumption Guidelines. Local fishing advisories help people enjoy healthy seafood while avoiding risks.
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.
