IKE Teaches about Fish and Lead Safety

at Earth Day Indiana Festival

    IKE's booth at the 2006 Earth Day Indiana Festival was buzzing all day with kids playing a fun "fishing game" where they angled for fish native to Indiana waters and learned which kinds are safe for kids to eat and which ones they should take a picture of and then throw back.    Parents and kids learned that "small is better" when it comes to eating what you catch, with blue gill and sunfish topping the list of safe fish to eat.  Kids and parents were warned that bass, catfish and carp found in most Indiana rivers and streams are contaminated with PCBs and mercury and should not be eaten by children or pregnant women. 

Contact mccabe@ikecoalition.org for more information about the fishing game--it's easy to put together and a great activity for children.

Check out the Indiana Fish Consumption Advisory for more information about specific species and specific waterways, but remember the rule of thumb to EAT LITTLE FISH!

IKE also provided lots of information about lead safety and showed people how to use lead swabs to test for lead in their homes.

Click here for photos of the fun!