Skip to main content
New Jersey

Saltwater Fishing

Saltwater Fishing

Health Advisory

Eating Fish and Crabs Caught In New Jersey Waters

Cover of the
Cover of the Fish Smart, Eat Smart guide—offering health advisories on eating fish and crabs caught in New Jersey. Published by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health to help anglers make safe seafood choices.

Fishing provides enjoyable and relaxing recreation. Fish are an excellent source of protein and other nutrients and play a role in maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet. Many anglers enjoy cooking and eating their own catch. However, elevated levels of potentially harmful chemical contaminants such as dioxin, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides and mercury have been found in certain fish and crabs in some New Jersey waters. Fish consumption advisories have been adopted to guide citizens on safe consumption practices.

To reduce exposure to harmful chemical contaminants when preparing and eating the fish species taken from the identified waters, it is essential to follow the guidelines provided. The DEP encourages you to consult the Fish Smart–Eat Smart Advisory Guide or view the full list of state and federal marine fish consumption advisories to make informed decisions about eating recreationally caught fish and crabs.

Try the Interactive Map!

One click on the waterbody where you fish takes you to any current health advisories.

FishSmartEatSmartNJ.org

Graphic of New Jersey with a prompt to click for an interactive map, offering fish consumption advisories, safety tips, and cooking advice for locally caught fish and crabs.
Fish Smart, Eat Smart NJ interactive map tool—click to find fish consumption advisories by lake, species information, safe cooking tips, and multilingual brochures from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Tray of baked blue crabs stuffed with seasoned breadcrumbs, arranged in rows and cooked to a golden brown—ready to serve as a seafood entrée.
Delicious baked blue crabs stuffed with savory breadcrumb filling, a popular seafood recipe in New Jersey. Learn how to prepare locally caught crabs safely and flavorfully with guidance from the Fish Smart, Eat Smart program.

Stuffed Blue Crabs

Ingredients

  • 12 blue crabs
  • 2 cups breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil
  • Red pepper, if desired

Instructions

  1. Clean the crabs by removing the carapace, abdomen (or apron) and all insides. All that should remain is the body of the crab (meat intact) with legs and claws attached.
  2. Make the stuffing by mixing together breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Gradually add olive oil until mixture is moist.
  3. Place clean crabs on a baking sheet and stuff each crab with bread crumb mixture.
  4. Sprinkle a small amount of red pepper on each crab.
  5. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until crabs turn red.Gills to Grills logo showing a fish hanging from a line on the left and a smoking barbecue grill on the right, representing the journey from fishing to cooking.
    Gills to Grills logo promoting the connection between catching and cooking fish. This NJDEP initiative teaches safe, healthy, and delicious ways to prepare locally caught fish and seafood.