State officials are advising pregnant women and young children to limit the amount of northern pike they eat from the Kuskokwim and lower Yukon rivers because of methylmercury levels in the fish.

For Yukon pike of any size and Kuskokwim pike greater than 2 feet, the Alaska Division of Public Health recommends no more than eight meals a month if fresh. The guidelines call for one meal a month if dried.

For Kuskokwim pike shorter than 2 feet, the guidelines call for eating no more than 16 meals a month if fresh, or four meals a month if dried.

Lori Verbrugge, the state's environmental public health program
manager, says people should not be alarmed. The state has studied hair samples from more than 80 Alaska women, and the levels of
mercury are far from dangerous.