New York State Department of Health Seeks Public’s Feedback on Hudson River Fish Advisory Signage
Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project Promotes Awareness of Department's Advice on Eating the Fish You Catch
New Signs to be Developed with Public's Feedback
Take the Survey Here
ALBANY, N.Y. (October 2, 2025) - The New York State Department of Health seeks the public's input as it works to update signs at fishing access sites along the Hudson River. These signs inform anglers about the Department's health advice on eating the fish you catch.
"Fishing is a popular activity in the Hudson Valley and fish are an important part of a healthy diet. However, some fish contain chemicals at levels that may be harmful to humans," State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said. "We are working hard to make the signs along the Hudson River clear and actionable for anglers so they understand our advice for eating the fish they catch, and we'd like to hear from the public on which signs work best."
The Department is re-designing the signs and seeking feedback from municipalities and area anglers through this online survey. This information is being used to collect feedback on sign design options and ease of understanding. The survey is open until November 2025. Based on this feedback, the Department expects to replace the older signs in the summer of 2026.
The goal of the Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project in the New York State Department of Health is to ensure Hudson River anglers are aware of the Department's advice on health impacts of eating fish you catch. The Hudson River SuperFund site stretches 200 miles from rural Washington County all the way to New York City. Department staff and their network of partners aim to raise awareness and encourage anglers to follow advisories along the impacted of shoreline.
As part of the program, the Department will post signs at Hudson River access sites, with the permission of the landowner, to alert anglers of the health advice. Department staff also attend dozens of community festivals, street fairs and other events throughout the fishing season to help educate anglers of all backgrounds about the risks and benefits of eating locally caught fish.
Free Hudson River fish advisory signs are available to municipalities and other Hudson River property owners. The current signs are available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.
The Department encourages communities to use signs in conjunction with providing free brochures and public access maps to residents. Landowners may order FREE signs using this order form.
The Hudson River Fish Advisory Project maintains a database of approximately 120 locations along the Hudson River SuperFund site, from the Federal Dam in Troy to the New York City Battery. Department staff conduct annual inspections and contact municipalities that need to re-post signs. Community members may check if signs are posted in their communities by visiting the Google map of signs locations on the Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project page here.
The public can take the 10-minute survey about the re-design of the advisory signs here.
Learn more about the Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project here.
Learn more about Hudson River fish advisories here.
Information about fish advisories and advice for the rest of the state can be found at health.ny.gov/fish.
