SC Dept. of Natural Resources - SouthCarolina-Offshore.Com

Fish Advisories
Information for Women and Children Under 14
DHEC has special advice for the following groups:

women who are pregnant
women who plan to become pregnant soon
nursing mothers
children under 14
These groups should not eat ANY fish containing mercury.  A fish with any advisory (one meal per week, one meal per month, or DO NOT EAT ANY) contains mercury and should not be eaten by these groups.  For more information on mercury, please visit DHEC's Making Sense of Mercury web page. 

Infants and children are particularly sensitive to the effects of mercury since their brains and nerves are still forming.  This advice from DHEC is meant to protect these sensitive groups.  

A national advisory, issued in March 2004 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), says that women who are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are nursing, and children under 14 should only eat one meal of freshwater fish each week.  This advisory also says that they should not eat any king mackerel, shark, swordfish or tilefish.   To find out more on the national advisory, visit EPA's website or FDA's web site.  You can also call FDA, toll-free, at 1-888-SAFEFOOD for more information.

Bureau of Water . Phone: (803) 898-4300 . Fax: (803) 898-4215 . Contact Us

RECYCLING OYSTER SHELLS HELPS REFURBISH SHELLFISH GROUNDS

Recycling oyster shells provides S.C. Department of Natural Resources an
opportunity to refurbish shellfish grounds with local shells for new
generations of oysters to grow. This time of the year, when oyster
roasts are plentiful, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
reminds the public that recycling oyster shells helps to enhance
harvestable public shellfish grounds. Every shell recycled is replanted
back into the estuarine environment, replenishing and helping to sustain
the oyster resource. Replanting shells during the warmer water seasons
is part of the cycle for maintaining the resource by providing a
substrate for oyster spat to attach. Oysters are also important to the
marine environment, serving as ecosystem engineers and fish habitat. DNR
maintains 19 coastal recycling drop-off locations, spanning from
Murrells Inlet south to Hilton Head where the public can recycle their
shells. For detailed maps and directions to recycling drop-off
locations, visit http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/oyster.html, or call
(843) 953-9854. DNR's Shell Recycling and Restoration Program
coordinators will arrange to pick-up large quantities of recycled
shells, 20 bushels or greater, following large oyster roasts.  #07-349

Saltwater Fishing Trends:

Cherry Grove Pier: Open Sunday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. -
Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. - www.cherrygrovepier.com/tour.htm
- Whiting and pompano are biting cut shrimp. Blues are taking cut
shrimp; gotcha plugs and jigged gold spoons. Flounder will take mud
minnows or finger mullet. A few nice sheepshead were reported with
barnacles or fiddler crabs.

Apache Pier (Myrtle Beach): Pier and bait Shop open 6 a.m. to midnight
seven days a week. - www.campingfriend.com /ApacheFamilyCampground -
Whiting, blues and pompano caught with cut baits like mullet or shrimp.
Flounder are still biting mud minnows.

Springmaid Pier (Myrtle Beach): Pier is open 6 a.m. to midnight seven
days a week, year-round. - www.springmaidbeach.com/live-cam.html - Some
spots caught with bloodworms or night crawlers. Whiting and a few
pompano are biting cut baits. Flounder are hitting mud minnows.

Myrtle Beach State Park Pier (Myrtle Beach South): Pier open 6 a.m. to 8
p.m., 7 days a week. Tackle shop open 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. -
http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/795.aspx -
Pompano and whiting are taking live or cut shrimp, or mullet.

Surfside Pier: Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Whiting, spotted sea trout and
pompano reported with live or cut shrimp, or mullet. A few blues were
reported earlier in the week. Flounder are hitting mud minnows.

The Pier at Garden City: Pier and tackle shop open 24 hours a day. -
www.pieratgardencity.com - Whiting are being caught, as well as an
occasional blue or pompano, using live or cut bait. Flounder reported on
mud minnows.

Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier (Georgetown): Open 6 a.m. to
midnight, seven days a week, with free parking and fishing. A Freshwater
Fishing License is required due to brackish water. A second fishing pier
is open on Winyah Bay called Hobcaw Point Observation and Fishing -
Flounder and a variety of other fish such as whiting are taking cut
bait. Blue

Folly Beach Pier: Marina building, fishing pier and Locklear's
Restaurant (which leases space inside the marina) closed for repairs
until March 2008. Call Charleston County Parks and Recreation at
843-795-4386 for more information.

Hunting Island State Park Fishing Pier: Pier is open 24 hours a day. The
Nature Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. -
http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1019.aspx -
Flounder caught with cut shrimp or mud minnows. Whiting are biting cut
mullet. Crabbing off the pier is doing well.

Reporters: The S.C. Department of Natural Resources' Marine Resource
Division thanks the following participants for their cooperation in
compiling this week's report: Cherry Grove Pier, Apache Pier, Springmaid
Pier, Myrtle Beach State Park, Surfside Pier, The Pier at Garden City,
Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier, Folly Beach Fishing Pier,
Hunting Island State Park.