Health Advisory for Fish Consumption

[GRIZZ]

How many of you read these warnings and eat less fish? I know after I read the ones in the NY DEC Fishing regulations guide every year it makes me want to quit eating fish all together. It doesn't slow my fishing down because I fish for the fun anyways, but I know some of you eat a lot of fish you catch.

How many of you worry about the long term health effects of eating fish?

I'm looking forward to being healthy in my later years, and try to keep aware of possible risks to my long term health. Its just scary how many people these days struggle with multiple health problems later in life, and I always wonder how many of those problems could have been avoided with healthier eating.

Let me know what you think about this subject.

[Glowgood Jigster]

Well Grizz, I am more likely to C&R on a high PCB or Mercury lake than I am on a lake where there are no warnings. And I'll most likely keep a few during a high blue-green algea bloom, but follow the health advisories on cleaning those fish. I live near some of the most highly polluted mercury lakes in the world. It's because they are downstream from cinnabar mines and gold mines, and back in the olden golden gold rush days they used the heck out of the mercury to recover the gold dusst. Some still do, but not IN the creeks like they once did.
Some around here don't heed the warnings at all, but I think most do. I haven't heard of any confirmed cases of mercury poisioning, but it's hard to know what the doctors would call it if an old fisherman got the symptoms. Far too often I'm afraid they would call it a good payday and start giving them pills. I don't have much faith in doctors, I use them only if I can't do the operation myself.

[Jerry Blake]

So far we don't have any Consumption Advisories on the lakes I fish so I've not had to make that decision. From what I've read the Advisories that are in place for Mercury are very conservative and are based on levels way below what is considered toxic levels. Now PCBs and other man-made toxins may be another story.

Until someone can prove to me otherwise I choose to believe that the health benefits of the fish I eat and feed my family out weigh the potential risks. There are well-proven and documented risks to eating beef, pork, chicken and even spinach but we gotta eat!

[TwainGang]

Aren't most of the consumption advisories with rivers and fish like catfish who live a long time before they are harvested? None of the lakes I fish have consumption advisories- now the rivers are another matter....

[CrappieHusker]

From what I have read in the past, mercury and other heavy metal concentration levels are determined using the whole fish in their part per million or billion measurements. Just like other creatures the "bad stuff" accumulates in the liver and other organs. Anyone had crappie liver lately? And then too, some warnings are to not eat more than 6 meals a week, etc. etc.
In a lake like ours (the Lake of the Ozarks) the possibility of a concentration build-up of heavy metals in fish is less likely as the lake is a river system that 'self-flushes- itself. Because of the flow here, the water is totally changed an equivalent of 4 times per year. The older a fish is the more that fish's heavy metal concentration is if heavy metals are present. Just don't eat any catfish over 40 pounds or crappie over 6 pounds! :rolleyes:

[NIMROD]

There is an advisory for Mercury on Nimrod. It says limit bass to two meals a month and mainly talks about larger fish over 15''. Also pregnant or nursing females as well as small children should avoid larger Bass.
I know of some old timers 80 or more ,that have eaten larger Bass for years. They don't seem to have any ill effects? We eat lots of big Flathead Catfish (up to 40 lbs ) and lots of Crappie. On the average we eat fish out of Nimrod twice a week year round and lots of it. Cannot understand why all predator fish are not listed , just Bass ?

[skiptomylu]

Well it doesn't really make much difference to me for several reasons. First I am 58 and have plenty of health issues that make me not eat as much fish. I love fried fish and with my heart issued I don't eat as much, but probably more than I should. The key on that for me is using the oil just 1 time most of the time, but even that sometimes gets fudged to 2 times.

My crappie cakes that I started eating have made it easier for me to eat more since they are just about as good done in the oven as the frying pan.

Next the lake I fish and live on the warning is only for largemouth bass and freshwater drum. I never understood why catfish were not on this list, but that is what it is.

[gooch]

I drive way to fast to worry about mercury contamination.

[GRIZZ]

I drive way to fast to worry about mercury contamination.

LOL - best answer!

Living in the industrial north here. The warnings and pollution are worse, so I do worry about it. The fact that every little bit of mercury collects and stays in the liver scares me, especially with larger great lakes fish. They recommend trimming belly fat and dark colored meat, but to me its just not worth the risk.

Oh for the days you could just drink out of creeks and lakes.

[chaunc]

Just think about all those huge walleye you got this fall. Those pictures didn't look like you threw them back. Personally, i'd rather eat the smaller ones as they haven't had much time for any stuff to build up in their systems. 14 to 18 inches is just right for me. The older/ bigger the fish, the more time for mercury/ pcb's to build in them.