Two methods are described for the determination of total inorganic arsenic in fish and fish products. The first method involves separation of the inorganic arsenic by distilling it from 6.6 N hydrochloric acid. The second method involves chelation and extraction of inorganic arsenic after sample dissolution in sodium hydroxide solution, with subsequent back-extraction and oxidation. In both methods the arsenic concentration is measured, after hydride generation by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry with atomisation in a flame-heated silica tube: with the first method the solution contains arsenic(III), and in the second the solution contains arsenic(V). Results obtained by both methods are in agreement over a range of samples. The distillation method is favoured for reasons of efficiency and economy in time. The derived limit of detection and confidence intervals are given.