During veterinary inspections, freshwater fish have occasionally been found to contain levels of chemical pollutants exceeding the permissible limits for human consumption. This naturally raises the question of the risk posed to consumers of these fish. However, the sampling and analysis protocols used in these inspections are not designed to estimate consumer exposure. Thus, the selection of species, sampling areas, time periods, etc., does not align with the habits of recreational anglers. In light of this, a literature review was conducted to identify the factors to consider when determining the choice of species, sampling locations, and methods of sampling and sample preparation, in order to obtain results representative of fish contamination. The selected recommendations were applied to establish a sampling protocol for fish from the Somme River. The targeted pollutants in this case were dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The protocol was developed by incorporating the expertise of all relevant stakeholders: recreational and commercial fishermen, and representatives from health and environmental agencies. This collaborative approach proved to be an essential investment in obtaining usable data. Given the cost of the analyses and the stakes involved in the decisions resulting from the findings, developing a well-reasoned, coherent measurement campaign protocol that incorporates all key aspects to meet the objective of estimating exposure is a critical challenge that, paradoxically, is often overlooked. (R.A.)