ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on fish consumption patterns by minority sport fishermen and members of their families that eat fish. It examines whether the differences between minorities and whites exist on a state-wide basis. The chapter discusses policy implications for the setting of fish consumption assumptions in state water quality standards and targeted communication of fish consumption advisories. It aims to discover sub-groups, especially those involving minorities, with especially high and potentially risky fish consumption behaviors. Concerns about toxic chemicals in Michigan surface waters have raised the issue of risks incurred by sport fishermen eating fish, especially sub-groups in the population, such as minorities and the elderly that may consume more fish than the average fisherman. Fish meal consumption information was gathered from all members of the household that eat fish. The reliance on fish consumption advisories should be considered a temporary stop-gap measure until standards can be tightened and toxic contaminants already in surface waters are cleaned up.
