GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Health Services announced on Thursday a consumption advisory for ducks harvested on Green Bay due to contaminants.
The Wisconsin DNR and DHS have issued new consumption advice for mallards and wood ducks harvested on Green Bay. Photo credit: Wisconsin DNR
In a release from the DNR, the new consumption advisory applies to mallards and wood ducks because of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
PFAS testing in the area has rendered the following advisories for a couple of parts of the bay.
The lower portion of Green Bay, from Longtail Point to Point au Sable and south to the mouth of the Fox River, is under a full ‘Do Not Eat’ advisory for mallards.
There is another advisory for the bay from the city of Marinette across to Sturgeon Bay and south to Longtail Point for the following:
- Mallards: One meal per month
- Wood ducks: One meal per week
The advisory is effective immediately, and hunters are urged to be wary of this for the hunting season. According to the release, waterfowl were first collected from the bay in 2022 to evaluate an existing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) consumption advisory in the lower portion.
An additional assessment of PFAS in breast muscle tissue was included, and in 2023 and 2024, additional samples were collected with tests in July and August.
The tests indicated elevated perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) levels in the breast muscle, and that the lower portion of the bay’s duck population has higher concentrations than the northern region.
