Contaminated Fish...

[bluesky1713]

Just wondering whether anyone has any concern about the fish they ingest. I live in Northern Ontario (North Bay/Parry Sound area) and have never really had much concern about whether the fish I catch are contaminated with pollutants or high levels of naturally-occurring mercury. The only place that I did not keep fish was the pickerel I caught in front of the water treatment plant on Nipissing, but I did not have any scientific reason for not eating them. What are your thoughts? Do you eat the fish you catch from your home waters or are you hesitant to do so? I am especially interested in what the Great Lakes fishermen have to say, particularly Lake Ontario anglers.

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nation...article1213338/

 

(My apologies if this question/topic has been raised and discussed before.)

[castgame]

how many conflicting reports are there now? i don't trust any of them to really be laying it out clearly. i'll eat the odd salmon or bow from ontario, but not much else. the great lakes have been abused so hard for so long, it's an outrage that we value industry over the environment, but that's the society we live in. hopefully we'll see the lakes get better in our time and not worse... i really believe this can happen.

[Rich]

I eat what the government guidelines suggest in the guide to eating sport fish is a safe consumable amount.

[bigugli]

Local fish are a regular part of the diet, and yes, I do "try" to stay within the MOE guideline.

 

Some tough decisions to make. Heavy metals in northern fish. Industrial chemicals in southern fish. Hormones and steroids in the chicken. Salmonella in the veggies, tainted beef, or e coli in the drinking water.

 

If we listen to all the fearmongers, we should all go back to subsistence farming or starving to death. ( We do grow and process a lot of what we eat)

Edited July 15, 2009 by bigugli

[smally21]

somebody made a great comment that we'll eat taco bell but not lake ontario salmon. fish size has alot to do with toxicity. older, bigger fish have more contaminants for obvious reasons. just another reason i shake my head when dudes go home with crusty old bass from longpoint instead of 3 little ones. i follow the guide to sportfish as well. except for temagami walleye, id have those 3 meals i day if i could catch 'em.

[Dara]

What about what we buy from the store.

 

These guys say 1 or 2 meals a month of sport fish.

Where are the guidelines in the grocery store for the comercial fish caught in the same waters.

[Twocoda]

Because i fish derbys i have to deplete the stock i have in very fast manners ....so i can keep on fishing ...i throw big fish frys with the fish i dont donate to the respective fish clubs for their money raising efforts....i have no problem being a host to my friends and family for these events and never worry that i could be possibly poisoning someone ...( i eat fish out of ERIE and HURON....never ever out of ONTARIO ( no offence to the people that do) I do fish ONTARIO a few times a year on the lake and in the river ...for the pure enjoyment of catching bigger fish and getting my eggs for the season...

[craigdritchie]

Every year or two some cub reporter at one of the newspapers writes a sensational article about how Great Lakes fish are contaminated with various chemicals, and are thus unfit for human consumption. This isn't news to anyone, except perhaps the newbie reporter.

 

Ironically, there are hundreds of pristine, wilderness lakes in northern Canada full of fish which are also unfit for human consumption due to high levels of naturally occurring mercury. I mean really remote spots you can only reach by float plane. Contaminants are everywhere.

 

Back in the 80s I remember reading about some grad students at one of the US universities (think it might have been Michigan State) who tested various species of Great Lakes fish for different chemical contaminants. Then they went to a supermarket, bought some meat and vegetables, and subjected their groceries to the same tests. Guess what? Toxins galore. Same thing for a couple of restaurant meals they also tested.

 

The scariest part came when they tested themselves. The students found their own human tissue also exceeded federal guidelines for mercury, PCBs and dioxin.

 

There are contaminants in everything, including us. You should obviously use common sense, follow government guidelines and try to minimize your risk. But the truth is, whether you like it or not, you're exposed to all sorts of chemicals every time you open your mouth. Unless you're prepared to give up eating or breathing, there's no point in worrying about it.

[bigugli]

What about what we buy from the store.

 

These guys say 1 or 2 meals a month of sport fish.

Where are the guidelines in the grocery store for the comercial fish caught in the same waters.

 

They don't want you to know.

[Jonny]

There are contaminants in everything, including us. You should obviously use common sense, follow government guidelines and try to minimize your risk. But the truth is, whether you like it or not, you're exposed to all sorts of chemicals every time you open your mouth. Unless you're prepared to give up eating or breathing, there's no point in worrying about it.

 

That's the key. If you do that, then and only then, "there's no point in worrying about it".

 

Eat mainly the small fish you catch, which have lower concentrations of contaminants. (Hey a good reason to target SMALL fish! All sorts of positives to that, except for the ego!)

 

Also keep in mind that in salmonids, toxins are concentrated in fattier tissue. Don't eat belly meat. Personally, I generally apply that rule of thumb to everything except pickerel and perch.

[Dara]

Target smaller fish

 

yeah..I'll get right on that

[Jonny]

Target smaller fish yeah..I'll get right on that

 

Yeah, kind of goes against the grain, don't it.

[danbouck]

:blahblah1:

[CLofchik]

Dude I live in Hamilton, I can't even let my dog swim in the water let alone eat anything from it.

[stan_133]

i'm more worried about the fish that they use at Mcdonald's then want i rarely catch and eat.

[Twocoda]

i'm more worried about the fish that they use at Mcdonald's then want i rarely catch and eat.

 

 

i think the fish for MCronch comes from lake erie ...white bass...i could be wrong ...it almost happened once ..lol..

[captpierre]

Remember Chinook salmon are shortlived (4-5yrs, then they spawn and die). Lakers, browns and steelhead spawn yearly and are much older fish when they get large. Same thing with walleye. Not sure how old a 3-4 lb walleye is but these fish are breeding fish and frankly don't taste as good a 1-2 lber.

 

I will keep a small to mid sized salmon, cut away the belly flesh, and put her on the barbee. Yummy

 

Capt Pierre

[bluesky1713]

Thanks for your thoughts everybody! I know I for one will not stop eating the delicious fish I catch from Ontario lakes and rivers for the time being. I was not aware that there was a guide available from the MoE and thank those who brought it to my attention (http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/water/fishguide/guides.php).

 

Even though studies are released and articles are written on the topic claiming that the sky is falling, I do not think they should be ignored. However, use the MoE guidelines for fish consumption as your information source, keep smaller fish to eat and Bon Appetit!

 

I think there is some credence to discussing this topic in a forum like this, though. It seems like at this point, anecdotally, that about 80% or more of fishermen in Ontario (just judging by the responses) either do not worry about their fish consumption or consume based on the MoE's guidelines. However, if that number drops significantly, I want to know about it and I want to know from the source (OFC members who actually EAT the fish, not some University researcher doing a study)!

 

Anyways, thank you all for your replies. Just wanted to know people's opinion and practice on this topic.

Edited July 16, 2009 by bluesky1713

[bigugli]

i think the fish for MCronch comes from lake erie ...white bass...i could be wrong ...it almost happened once ..lol..

Up into the 1960's there used to be a commercial catch of white bass in Lake Erie which ran in the 100,000lb + catch per year.

[Jonny]

Keep in mind that pregnant women should not eat fish that could have elevated levels of mercury etc. in them. Protect your lady and your little ones by knowing what's safe and what's not.

[scugpg]

It surprises me how many people eat such big fish out of the great lakes though...well over the recommended size according to the guide and big trophies too!

 

Anyone have any info on toxin content on beef or poultry? That would be interesting to compare vs. the fishies.

[bigugli]

It surprises me how many people eat such big fish out of the great lakes though...well over the recommended size according to the guide and big trophies too!

 

Anyone have any info on toxin content on beef or poultry? That would be interesting to compare vs. the fishies.

 

That would depend on how you define toxin. Just heavy metals and industrial waste? Do you include hormones and steroids? GAF's? Livestock raised on protein enriched (meat) feeds?

 

Did you know that many pesticides deemed harmful to humans, and banned here, are used regularly on produce that is imported into our supermarkets.

 

You are still eating DDT, Temik, etc..., in your tomatoes and watermelon, and in your canned fruit.

 

Truth is there are all sorts of nasty things in the food supply. They are not going away. Learn to deal with, eat and keep living, or quietly go off in some corner to die. in fear

Edited July 16, 2009 by bigugli

[ketchenany]

I eat what the government guidelines suggest in the guide to eating sport fish is a safe consumable amount.

 

 

Rich, it seems to me that the guide book (which I worked on the last two) is being replaced with this overall study, and it save them hundred of thousands putting out a publication . . .

[Fish Farmer]

Thats IT, No more Tim Hortons Coffee for me. The water they use comes from Lake Ont. the same water the fish swim in, and you want to drink it!!! Oh! I just thought of something, don't we Pee and Sh%&* in that same water.

Give me a brake I think I'm having fresh Lake Erie Walleye for super.

[Billy Bob]

What about what we buy from the store.

 

These guys say 1 or 2 meals a month of sport fish.

Where are the guidelines in the grocery store for the comercial fish caught in the same waters.

 

Well put, but you forgot to mention what are the guide lines for eating red meat................ you hear ALL the time people having heart attacks, etc.......... from red meat but I never heard that someone died because he ate too much fish..........the red meat industry makes sure that no guide lines are ever produced.........since there is no sport fishing lobbyist in Ottawa or Washington we are bombarded with don't eat this fish or that fish....get my point.

 

A health serving of Lake Ontario Salmon is probably less dangerous to your health than a New York Strip State......