Bob Williamson

Bob Williamson of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources informed carp anglers and passersby with an interesting and informative exhibit on carp fishing and carp biology ...

"With these advisories, there's a real tendency for people to say, 'Oh my God, you can't eat the fish,'" explains Bob Williamson, commercial fisheries program manager for IDNR."And I certainly have some concerns that people will react unnecessarily."Select advisories do not incriminate all fish, he says, and if the public simply notes sites where certain species aren't advised for eating by at-risk people, Williamson says tons of fish remain.And they're probably safer than many other foods we accept as harmless, he says."The question becomes, if you don't eat fish, what are you going to eat?"he asks, suggesting some of us might be over-zealous in our attempt to eliminate anything associated with contaminants.Ordinary foods have risks, he says."Coffee, if it were not a natural substance, would be banned," Williamson says."Some of this has gotten that ridiculous." Nonetheless, IDNR is publishing the latest advisories in the current fishing regulations booklet to allow the public to make their own decisions about sport fish.In addition, new advisories will be published if the Illinois EPA determines limits for mercury and the pesticide chlordane should be lowered. In Southern Illinois, Crab Orchard Lake in Williamson County has shown levels of PCBs in largemouth bass, channel catfish and carp.Specific advisories for those fish are listed in detail in the 1999 sportfishing regulation booklet available from IDNR.Cedar Lake and Kinkaid Lake in Jackson County have levels of mercury which has been found in largemouth bass, and eating bass larger than 18 inches is not recommended for those lakes.Officials point out all of the advisories are for infants, children and women of child-bearing age and are probably over-protective for other adults.
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"If you're not a pregnant mother, an infant; or if you smoke, drink, ride in a car, or just plain live, you don't have anything to worry about," Williamson says.

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© 1999 Liberty Group Publishing

Two of the early key players promoting carp fishing were Bud Yancey of the Carp Angler's Group (CAG) and Bob Williamson of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
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According to Williamson, "The common carp is the most popular freshwater sport fish in the world.