The following recommendations are made for eating fish from the Central and South Deltas:

• Women aged 18 to 49 and children aged 1 to 17 should avoid eating Striped Bass or White Sturgeon. They are permitted to consume up to seven servings of small baitfish species per week, three servings of bullhead species per week, two servings each of American shad, steelhead trout, or sunfish species, and one serving each of black bass, catfish, Common Carp, crappie species, goldfish, or Sacramento sucker species per week.
• Women over the age of 50 and men over the age of 18 may consume a maximum of seven servings of American Shad, bullhead, small baitfish, or sunfish per week; five servings of steelhead trout per week; three servings of catfish, Common Carp, crappie, or goldfish per week; two servings of black bass, Sacramento sucker, or striped bass; or one serving of white sturgeon or striped bass per week.
• No one should consume any seafood from the Port of Stockton.

The levels of pollutants like mercury that linger in the environment and build up in fish are what the OEHHA bases its fish advisory recommendations on. They operate independently of any recommendations to restrict fish consumption because of freshwater or estuarine harmful algal blooms (HABs). Verify the California HABs Portal before going fishing to see if there are any recommended HAB advisories, and always practice healthy water habits.

Mercury is introduced into the environment as a byproduct of coal mining and combustion. It accumulates in fish as methylmercury, which can harm the brain and nervous system, particularly in growing children and fetuses. The OEHHA has a separate set of recommendations for children under the age of 17 and women of childbearing age (18 – 49 years).