Clear Creek in Monroe County, Indiana, may sound like a placid spot to spend a summer afternoon with a fishing pole, but don’t eat anything you catch there. Contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from old industrial waste sites, the creek is one of nearly a dozen waterways in Indiana on the “do not eat” list in the 2010 Fish Consumption Advisory released this week by the Indiana State Department of Health. The annual advisory presents a quandary for state health officials. They want to encourage Hoosiers — who live in a state where 1 in 4 adults is obese — to include more fish in their heart-healthy diets. But they also want to get the word out about the perils of eating contaminant-laden fish caught in the state’s lakes, rivers, streams and reservoirs. The result is a 32-page guide chocked with detail about the state’s favorite fishing holes and advice on what to eat and what to avoid in each one of them. “We have tried to include everything a person might want to know about eating sport-caught fish in Indiana,” said LaNetta Alexander, an environmental epidemiologist at the state Health Department. Some of it seems unappetizing. For example: The advisory says weekly consumption of 10 ounces of carp or anything else in the “Group 5” category of fish most vulnerable to PCBs, mercury and other contaminants carries almost the same risk of death as having 200 X-rays a year. It also offers some guidance on what to do if the fish you catch has parasites, tumors and tapeworms. As the advisory notes: “While not nice to look at, the edible parts of the fish that have parasites can be eaten, provided they are thoroughly cooked.” The advisory also shows how the same fish that’s safe to eat when caught in one part of the state can carry more risk when caught somewhere else. The largemouth bass in Tippecanoe Lake in Kosciusko County should be eaten only once a month because of the potential for mercury contamination, but there’s no limit on consumption of largemouth bass caught in the Morse Reservoir in Hamilton County. It also urges caution on fish consumption depending on gender and age. “Unlike women of childbearing age and young children, most men and postmenopausal women can eat moderate amounts of fish without being harmed by contaminants.” The fish consumption advisory is based on statewide collection and analysis of fish samples that are tested for long-lasting contaminants, including mercury, heavy metals, pesticides and PCBs. It’s a joint effort among several state agencies. As Ken Severson, a spokesman at the state Health Department explained, the state Department of Natural Resources catches the fish, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management tests the fish, and the state Health Department reviews the results and issues the advisory. Collectively, though, they advise keeping fish on the menu. As the advisory notes: “The key to gaining the most health benefits from fish is to eat a variety of fish that are low in contaminants.” Maureen Hayden is statehouse bureau chief for CNHI’s Indiana newspapers. She can be reached at maureen.hayden@indianamediagroup.com. The 2010 Indiana Fish Consumption Advisory encourages Hoosiers to consume fish as a regular part of their heart-healthy diets, but it cautions against eating fish that are most vulnerable to contamination from mercury, heavy metal, pesticides and other chemicals. The advisory, which includes county-level information on Indiana waterways, can be found on the website of the Indiana State Department of Health at www.in.gov/isdh