Limit catfish, spotted seatrout from Galveston Bay
AUSTIN — Fans of catfish and spotted seatrout caught in Galveston Bay are being advised to limit their consumption of the two species.

The advisory came Tuesday from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

DSHS says a two-year study found elevated levels of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyl's, or PCBs, in catfish and spotted seatrout.

The advisory includes Chocolate Bay, East Bay, West Bay, Trinity Bay and contiguous waters.

The health agency says adults are advised to limit consumption of the two types of fish to no more than one 8-ounce meal per month.

Women who are nursing, pregnant or who may become pregnant and children should not eat catfish or spotted seatrout from Galveston Bay.

Spotted seatrout are also known as speckled trout.
I found this in the Lufkin Daily News Paper from Lufkin, Texas

I heard about this today on the news here in Houston. It's sad, very sad. There had been a restriction already in place in some places on the upper area of the Texas Gulf Coast and I knew it was only a matter of time before it was extended further down. The fishing in the Galveston bay area has declined over the years, according to my father in law who has been fishing Galveston bay for over 30 years. I fear that there will come a time when you won't be able to eat any of the fish from the Bay. I was planning on doing some fishing for trout next week, but I'm not going to waste my time and money fishing for specks anymore. Looks like I will be fishing for Reds and Black Drum from now on...unless I go to the Rockport area. It's a sad day friends...sad indeed!

Since this report came from a governmental agency I dont give it much credit. Too many idiots work for the government that were given jobs based upon things other than credentials. Also, these type of reports never specify if it will effect people over a 1 year span, 10 year span, 50 year or 100 year, etc. They just know that indeed such contaminants are harmfull to humans if overly consumed. So what though, anything is harmful if overly consumed.

There may be another way to look at this...notwithstanding the terrible facts that our bays are poluted....if you believe as I do that specs should be treated as a sport fish and not a food fish and that more catch and release fishing would help the spec fishing come back to the 70's levels...then this negative may actually have somewhat of a positive side to it. I'd rather not have the PCB's in the water, certainly, but I've always believed in trying to make something good out of bad.

Sport fish like the specs are far too valuable to be caught only once...maybe this will finally increase catch and release fishing on our coast and discourage some from fishing for specs at all. If that happens, you will see the specs return to the 70's levels in size and numbers, IMO.

Is this report mainly from Galveston north? I fish Matagorda. I too believe specks are sport fish..."delicious" sport fish. I eat the speck outta the bay in Matagorda all the time, should I be concerned you think?

Not sure if it is anywhere else. That is all the article said that I read. You may find out more by going to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Website at: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/

Directly from the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

Houston/Galveston Area (Chambers and Harris counties)
Galveston Bay including Chocolate Bay, East Bay, West Bay, Trinity Bay and contiguous waters
Chemicals of Concern: Dioxin and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

For all catfish species and spotted seatrout, adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per month.
Women who are nursing, pregnant, or who may become pregnant and children should not consume catfish or spotted seatrout from these waters.
Houston Ship Channel upstream of the Lynchburg Ferry crossing and all contiguous water including the San Jacinto River below U.S. Highway 90 bridge
Chemicals of Concern: Dioxin, Organochlorine pesticides, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

For all species of fish and blue crabs, adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per month.
Women of child-bearing age and children under 12 should not consume any fish or blue crabs from this area.
Houston Ship Channel downstream of the Lynchburg Ferry crossing and all contiguous waters including Upper Galveston Bay north of a line drawn from Red Bluff Point to Five Mile cut Marker to Houston Point
Chemicals of Concern: Dioxin and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

For spotted seatrout, blue crabs and all catfish species, adults should limit consumption to no more than one, 8-ounce meal per month.
Children under 12 and women of childbearing age should not consume spotted seatrout, blue crabs, or any catfish species from this area.

Heres the address to the site as well: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20080708a