Certain bass near Bateman Island not safe to eat

Anglers are being warned not to eat certain smallmouth bass caught near Bateman Island over the next month.

The Yakama Nation fishery staff are tagging up to 55 of the bass with sonic tags to understand their movements in the lower Yakima River during the spring migration.

The bass are anesthetized for the tagging with a chemical sedative called MS-222 which could remain in residual quantities in the fish until mid-May, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Any smallmouth bass in the study are tagged in the dorsal fin with an orange “spaghetti” tag.

Bass with the tag caught in the Yakima Delta area may not be safe to eat. They must be released. The regulation is in effect through May 13.

This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 7:11 PM with the headline "Certain bass near Bateman Island not safe to eat."