Those who eat what they catch...

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Joseph S.
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Those who eat what they catch...

Post by Joseph S. »

Just curious how much concern you all have over levels of industrial(and natural) contamination in the fish you eat?

It varies a lot between from species to species and locale and in many cases it is difficult to decide whether or not something is safe-esp. freshwater.

Of course mountain stream trout are likely as pure as can be, and you toss back the white croaker from the Santa Monica pier, but some things are a bit more difficult.

I am aware of the contamination that exists in foods we think nothing of such as hamburgers and beef...(eat more chickin! turkey also if you're concerned) but figured intelligent discussion would be interesting.
hellihooks
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Re: Those who eat what they catch...

Post by hellihooks »

Being a Bass... I generally eat all the trout I catch, from like Lake Silverwood, Arrowhead, and Big Bear. Even the local stocked lakes like Hesperia Lakes and Jess Ranch get their trout from fish farms like Whitewater... so I think trout are pretty safe to eat.
I won't eat a catfish, cept for catfish bred and raised to eat... :roll: jim
gretzkyrh4
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Re: Those who eat what they catch...

Post by gretzkyrh4 »

I used to pay more attention to this as a kid in upstate NY. It always seemed as if half of New York's fishing regulation manual was devoted to consumption advisories for specific bodies of water (think page upon page of tables like this: http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/ ... _lakes.htm). Most of the waters I fished (aside from Lake Ontario) weren't on the advisory list for my region, but it was still always something that caught my attention.

Once I was old enough to grasp the general concept of bioaccumulation, I simply learned I was better off harvesting fish near the lower end of the legal limit and releasing the trophies. Five states and many fish later, I've stuck with this concept and just made a point of limiting myself to no more than one meal of fish a week (generally not a problem as I don't get out to fish that often).

Chris
VICtort
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Re: Those who eat what they catch...

Post by VICtort »

It does concern me...I eat a lot of fish. I eat mostly fast growing fish, ocean salmon, albacore,bluefin,YFT, dorado, a few hatchery trout, but also some ground fish, cod, sole, halibut, rockfish. I avoid big stripers, groupers, long lived species from industrial habitats, shipyards. Perhaps one of my top 3 favorites are white sturgeon, but I rarely eat them due to their old age and estuary habitats with industrial/heavy metal pollutants etc. We have tremendous clam resource, but unwise to eat due to heavy metals bio accumulating.

In another post, we noticed some of the finest sport fisheries are in waters where the fish have health advisories ...

We have published health advisories in California and I try to heed them. I may eat too much tuna...but I am not a higher risk lactating female (denial?).

Bio accumulation and mercury concerns me, it is a real tragedy that mercury levels are rising in what seems a watery wilderness. My cadaver might make an interesting study...and clearly the land and vast sea are connected and pollutants work through the systems. I read somewhere in popular press that many tested fish now have detectable levels of Prozac...

Vic
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Joseph S.
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Re: Those who eat what they catch...

Post by Joseph S. »

Yes, trout stocked into lakes are likely ok, as they seldom last very long...what the fishermen don't get the bass and other predators sure do.

Even farm raised catfish can have pretty high levels of industrial pollution.

I've taken quite a few pismo clams from some of the spots they can still be found...i figure as long as there is no red tide they are probably ok-and of course enjoyed in moderation.

It is such a bummer that some fine sport fisheries have been compromised by industrial contamination. The waters off Palos verdes are gorgeous but I don't think I would feel comfortable eating the abundant perch in these water, for example.
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sep11ie
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Re: Those who eat what they catch...

Post by sep11ie »

Unless there is a warning issued out I eat most of the legal reds, trout, flounder and cats that I catch. I eat the shrimp out of the same water too and they are delish.

I live off of a huge brackish water lake off of Galveston Bay. The same one you see behind me in my profile pic.
Shane_TX
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Re: Those who eat what they catch...

Post by Shane_TX »

The Galveston area always has advisories:

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/seafood/Sur ... m#advisory

I tend to view them so infrequently that I'm never really up to date. Better than the '80s these days but it is an exceptional industrial area that is never without cautions; mainly for women and children.

Shane
VICtort
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Re: Those who eat what they catch...

Post by VICtort »

sep11ie wrote:Unless there is a warning issued out I eat most of the legal reds, trout, flounder and cats that I catch. I eat the shrimp out of the same water too and they are delish.

I live off of a huge brackish water lake off of Galveston Bay. The same one you see behind me in my profile pic.
sep11ie, you mention "cats", are these the saltwater cats also known as hardheads so often caught in saltwater in the Deep South? Like many visiting anglers, I caught several, including a large gaff topsail cat, but everyone I asked told me they are no good to eat. I have often been told this about various fishes in many places, most of which turned out to be pretty good. Food and cultural prejudices are hard to overcome and all too common. Saltwater cats look a lot like channel catfish, if they taste the same, I think desirable. Any open minded palates pleased when you partake of saltwater catfish? Opinions anyone?

Side note...a hospitalist/physician friend in Clearwater, Fla. says catfish spines to unwary tourists are in his top ranks of ER visitors.

Vic
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sep11ie
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Re: Those who eat what they catch...

Post by sep11ie »

VICtort wrote:
sep11ie wrote:Unless there is a warning issued out I eat most of the legal reds, trout, flounder and cats that I catch. I eat the shrimp out of the same water too and they are delish.

I live off of a huge brackish water lake off of Galveston Bay. The same one you see behind me in my profile pic.
sep11ie, you mention "cats", are these the saltwater cats also known as hardheads so often caught in saltwater in the Deep South? Like many visiting anglers, I caught several, including a large gaff topsail cat, but everyone I asked told me they are no good to eat. I have often been told this about various fishes in many places, most of which turned out to be pretty good. Food and cultural prejudices are hard to overcome and all too common. Saltwater cats look a lot like channel catfish, if they taste the same, I think desirable. Any open minded palates pleased when you partake of saltwater catfish? Opinions anyone?

Side note...a hospitalist/physician friend in Clearwater, Fla. says catfish spines to unwary tourists are in his top ranks of ER visitors.

Vic
I catch a ton of channel cats in brackish water. Those are the ones I eat. I do eat gafttops also. As for hardheads, I throw them back, but they are not nearly as bad as what people say.
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PrimitiveTim
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Re: Those who eat what they catch...

Post by PrimitiveTim »

Here in Florida they usually have signs by the lakes if there are contaminants in the water. They say don't eat the fish if you're pregnant and don't eat more than x number of fish from this lake per year. I'd say moderation is key. Don't eat every week out of a lake that is contaminated. I don't think it's a huge deal in most areas so long as fish isn't a staple in your diet.

I normally eat fish when I'm camping so that means I'm pretty far from things that would contaminate the water. Always eat up river from the cities. lol

See if you can get a hold of the fish people at your DNR and talk to them on the phone. I like to hear it straight from the people that have studied the subject personally.
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dery
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Re: Those who eat what they catch...

Post by dery »

I used to catch crawfish in a floodplain stradling Redstone Arsenal. Never ate the fish. Too smart to catch. Mostly spotted gar and carp. I did eat some of a giant catfish caught on the inside portion of the floodplain. Amazingly, I never noticed any affects from any of those instances. Or the numerous times I swam somewhere in the public side of the floodplain.
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