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Opinion | Michigan can lead again by making fish advisories easier to use
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Michigan tells people to eat more fish.
It also tells them to eat less of some of the fish they catch.
Both messages are right.
The problem is that they often don’t speak the same language.
Fish is rich in protein, heart-healthy fats, and nutrients that support lifelong health. It is also part of who we are. From Lake Superior to Lake Erie, fishing connects families, supports local economies and anchors traditions that stretch back generations.
At the same time, Michigan has spent decades issuing fish consumption advisories.
Mercury. PFAS. PCBs. One meal per month. Do not eat. Sensitive populations.
The science behind these advisories matters. But for many families, the guidance can feel overwhelming.
Not because the science is wrong.
Because the translation is missing.
People don’t eat advisories.
They eat dinner.
Michigan deserves enormous credit for recognizing that challenge early. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Eat Safe Fish program has become one of the nation’s strongest examples of translating complex environmental monitoring into practical public health guidance. Regional guides, serving recommendations and species-specific advice have helped residents make informed decisions without abandoning the waters they love.
That approach should continue to evolve.
The next step shouldn’t be another PDF.
It should be guidance that shows up where decisions are actually made — in kitchens, grocery stores, bait shops, restaurants, and family fish fries.
A parent standing in the kitchen doesn’t need a toxicology lesson.
A chef planning next week’s menu doesn’t want to search multiple agency websites.
The question most anglers ask isn’t whether mercury or PFAS exists.
It’s much simpler.
Can my family enjoy this fish safely?
In most cases, the answer is yes — with the right information.
Fish safety is rarely about a single meal. It’s about patterns over time: species, size, where the fish was caught and how often it appears on the table.
Choosing smaller fish more often, limiting larger predators, varying species throughout the year, checking local advisories and using preparation methods that reduce exposure to certain contaminants are practical adjustments — not reasons to stop enjoying Michigan’s fisheries.
That distinction matters.
When public health messaging sounds like “don’t,” people often disengage. When it explains “how,” people participate.
Michigan has already demonstrated that trust grows when guidance respects people’s traditions instead of dismissing them.
Fishing isn’t simply recreation here. It’s Friday fish fries. It’s grandparents teaching children to clean perch. It’s tribal foodways protected through generations. It’s families filling freezers for winter. Those traditions deserve both protection and practical guidance.
I grew up fishing Lake Huron and the inland lakes up north. Today I work at the intersection of culinary systems and environmental health, helping translate complex food safety information into practical decisions. I’ve learned the gap isn’t between science and the public.
It’s between information and action.
The opportunity isn’t to produce more data.
It’s to make the existing data easier to use.
Imagine scanning a recipe and seeing the local advisory alongside it. Imagine restaurant menus that help diners make informed seafood choices. Imagine chefs, educators, health departments and anglers all speaking the same language about fish safety.
That’s what translation looks like.
Michigan has already built the scientific foundation. Now it has an opportunity to lead again — not only in monitoring contaminants, but in helping people confidently use the information.
The Great Lakes have always shaped Michigan’s identity.
If we can pair world-class science with communication that respects how people actually live, Michigan can show the rest of the country something important:
Public health doesn’t succeed when information is merely published.
It succeeds when people understand it well enough to gather around the table with confidence.
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