With gratitude to the 2026 ACF National Convention — thank you to the chefs & educators who joined our educational session.
Safer Catch™
Safer Catch translates official fish-consumption advisories and water-quality information into one clear answer: can I eat this fish?
Safer Catch looks for the official advisory record that applies and translates it into plain English — and tells you plainly when it can't find one.
Find advisories near you
Enter a city or ZIP to find waterbody-level advisories, then tap a species to check it.
Safer Catch translates official advisories; it does not issue them. Official state, tribal, and federal guidance governs.
Agencies and researchers already publish fish-consumption advisories and water-quality data. But it is spread across agencies, PDFs, tables, and technical guidance written for compliance — not for a family deciding what to cook tonight.
Yellow Perch · Lake Erie · Adults
A lower-concern choice for most adults. Sensitive groups should follow the specific guidance for their population.
Illustrative example. Real results show the actual advisory, agency, and date.
A simple sequence for turning advisory information into a decision you can stand behind.
Check the water, the advisory, the species, and the source.
Choose fish and serving frequency appropriate for the person eating it.
Handle and prepare fish using evidence-based food-safety practices — and contaminant-reduction techniques where they actually apply.
Turn good information into safe, enjoyable meals.
Cleaning, trimming, and cooking do not remove all contaminants. Mercury remains in the muscle regardless of preparation; some fat-associated contaminants may be reduced by removing skin and visible fat. The advisory itself is always the primary guide.
Every tool answers the same question from a different angle: can I confidently feed this fish to the people I care about?
Contaminant, nutrition, and kitchen profiles for freshwater and coastal species.
Browse SpeciesLakes, rivers, and bays with advisory level, better choices, species to limit, and official links.
Search WatersA guided walkthrough — water, location, species, who's eating, size — ending in a complete summary.
Launch AdvisorFind your state's official advisory program, plus normalized records where they exist.
Find My StateSafer Catch does not issue fish-consumption advisories. We translate advisories published by state, tribal, and federal agencies into plain language — and we show you where each piece of guidance came from so you can check it yourself.
Coverage spans all 50 states, but it is not uniform: the structured record set is deeper in some states than others. Where information is unavailable or uncertain, we say so and point you to the responsible agency.
About Our DataEvery advisory result aims to show
Safer Catch is an educational translation layer. It complements — and never replaces — official public-health, tribal, state, federal, or medical guidance.
Two complementary halves of one initiative.
Science · Data · Guidance · Decision support
The translation layer. Advisory lookups, species and waterbody profiles, contaminant explanations, and source attribution.
Education · Culinary literacy · Culture · Storytelling
The educational and cultural extension. The 4Cs framework, learning modules, books and guides, and the kitchen — where knowledge becomes a meal.
Explore Water to TableThree distinct resources. One shared purpose: helping people understand the relationship between water, fish, health, food culture, and the choices made around the table.
From Lake to Table in a Changing World
A story about fluency, not fear.
A personal and deeply grounded exploration of Great Lakes identity, environmental health, family memory, fish contaminants, culinary tradition, and the responsibility carried from water to table.
Written and narrated by Christopher Connolly.
The foundation of the Safer Catch mission.
An accessible introduction to the relationship between water quality, environmental health, fish-advisory communication, seafood literacy, culinary culture, and the practical decisions made by families, anglers, chefs, and communities.
The Essential Guide to Fish Safety, Seafood Selection, and Water-to-Table Cooking
Practical seafood confidence for everyday decisions.
A comprehensive Great Lakes-focused guide to fish safety, species selection, mercury, PFAS, PCBs, local advisories, serving frequency, preparation, cooking, and the practical choices that help people enjoy fish with greater confidence.
The Water That Remembers explains why the relationship matters. Water to Table introduces the Safer Catch vision. The Complete Guide turns that vision into practical choices people can use.
Your organization may already hold — or publish — fish-consumption advisory and environmental-health information. Safer Catch helps translate that existing information into accessible tools, education, and decision support for the communities you serve.
Who we work with
Charitable and program support can be directed through Safer Catch's fiscal sponsor, Media Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 94-2875532).
Safer Catch is an educational platform that translates authoritative fish-consumption advisory and environmental-health information into practical guidance. It is fiscally sponsored by Media Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and is free to the public.
Christopher Connolly, Founder, developed the initiative at the intersection of culinary systems, environmental health, food education, and applied research. He is an author, conference presenter, and recipient of the ANFP Ambassador Award, with ongoing doctoral research in hospitality and food-systems innovation.
Why Safer Catch existsCheck a catch in seconds, or bring Safer Catch to the communities your organization serves.
Occasional updates
New advisories, species profiles, and tools. No spam, ever.
