Local Fish Consumption

[Guest]

When TVA began placing "Fish Consumption Warnings" around the dams I thought I would just stop consuming "caught" fish altogether. ( Had some health issues too )</p>

But some recent web searching on the subject and noticing fish prices at grocery stores ( not to mention finding ways to make the cost of fishing a little more justifyable ! )have caused me to re-think the matter. So I plan tokeep some small catfish as well as some bream, crappie, sauger/saugeye/walleye that I catch. </p>

I have missed the old days when my granddad and I would go "meat-fishing" I can still see the wide-eyed look of my grandma when we would walk up to the house stringing a "fine mess of fish". I knew the reason she was hopping up from her porch swing was to start making hush puppies ! emoHungry </p>

I am NOT advocating fish consumption for everyone and I am certainly NOT an expert on the matter. I would still advise caution for those noted on the warning posts ( pregnant & children ) I am only saying that God made them tasty and a very important part of a healthy diet and I plan to consume again. </p>

Also I found it interesting that "bottom-feeding" fish such as,one of my dining favorites, catfish are among the least mercury contaminated species of fish ! http://www.tva.gov/environment/air/ontheair/merc_emis.htm</p>

Does anyone have any advise on making consumption generally more safe ... like trimming away the fat since it might contain more mercury or pollutants than flesh ???</p>

Also any other species of local fish that taste very good that I have omitted here ? I knew an elderlywoman once that LOVED to eat common carp and I must admit that the flesh looked very good but I just never got around to trying it.</p>

I will try to pay more attention to, and contribute to, the Recipe forum now !</p>

 

[Kingfish]

Good article. I fish quite a lot for Bluegill and fillet them. Always figured they aren't as old and perhaps that made them safer to eat? Never have keep any large fish to eat (Bass/Catfish). I do keep the smaller Spotted Bass and Crappie that are maybe 1 lb. to 1-1/2lb. Thanks for the post and info. KF

 

[Guest]

Yeah KF </p>

Those bluegill are good and I used to fillet them also. Small but worth every minute of cleaning!</p>

I had some well over 100 panfish days this spring and released all of them ! I need to shop for a nice new fillet knife maybe even an electric mod </p>

Thanks</p>

 

[rsimms]

Here is an article I wrote in 2004. Read through... it should have a little additional information for you on the issue. Here is the most important paragraph that I share with my clients (in so many words): Greg Denton with Dept. of Environment and Conservation says - "because adverse health effects are considered to be a result of regular, long-term exposure, an infrequent meal, even of the fish listed in the guide, is not believed to have a measurable health risk.


"I moved here from Redding, California in 1992," said Milt Greaves. "The first thing I packed in my car was my fishing gear. I have not been able to use it since."

You might think that Greaves is a very busy man, which he is. He spends his days seeking out corporate donors for WTCI-TV, Chattanooga's public TV station. But that's not the reason he doesn't fish around here.

"I don't like catch and release," said Greaves. "I like to eat what I catch. When I moved here people told me that due to pollution, the fish weren't safe to eat."

Signs posted by public health officials around area waterways reinforce Greaves' fears. They warn people not to eat certain fish, or at least limit their consumption. Many take those signs as indicators to be afraid -- be very, very afraid.

"Other people told me (eating the fish) was OK," he said. "I got all sorts of mixed messages about whether it was safe or not."

Greaves e-mailed the Times Free Press looking for some reliable information from experts.

" I don't think people should be concerned," said Bobby Wilson, the Assistant Chief of Fisheries for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

According to Wilson, and Greg Denton with the Tennessee Division of Water Pollution Control, Greaves need look no further than a Tennessee Fishing Guide.

Every Tennessee Fishing Guide includes a special section called "Contaminants in Fish." The section includes a table outlining various warnings for different bodies of water across the state.

For instance on Nickajack Lake (all waters from Chickamauga Dam downstream), the guide has a "Precautionary Advisory" for catfish. It reads, "children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not eat catfish. All other persons should limit consumption to one meal per month."

"Catfish spend a lot more time grubbing around on the bottom," said Wilson. "And bigger catfish are more susceptible because they've been out there grubbing around a lot longer."

Denton admits that the signs posted along the river can be scary looking.

"That's not the intention," said Denton. "The intention is to give the public the information they need to make a choice. It's just like if you go to the store and buy food, you want to look on the box and see what's in it. It's information, but you make the decision on whether to buy it or not."

Wilson and Denton agree that only the fish species named in the fishing guide are affected and all others should be considered safe. That means fishermen should have no concern about eating bass, crappie, bluegill or other game species from Nickajack. And as long as fishermen follow the guidelines, there should be no concern with eating catfish.

Watts Bar has been the focus of many studies due to its proximity downstream from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Watts Bar was the epicenter of one of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted to determine if eating large quantities of fish will affect people's health.

It was conducted in 1997 by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), an arm of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The ATSDR screened 550 people who regularly fished Watts Bar Lake. They ultimately collected blood samples from 116 people who were considered heavy fish eaters.

Five people (4%) had elevated levels of PCB's in their blood. Only one person (less than 1%) had elevated levels of mercury. Those percentages were the same however, as health officials would expect to find in the general population.

The study concluded, "the PCB and mercury levels were less than ATSDR health officials expected. ATSDR officials believe that health effects are not likely for the PCBs or mercury levels seen in the exposure investigation participants."

Erring on the side of caution, the state still offers the following advisory for Watts Bar: "Catfish, striped bass, hybrid striped bass and white bass should not be eaten. Precautionary advisory for children, pregnant women and nursing mothers for sauger, carp, smallmouth buffalo, and largemouth bass."

There are no advisories whatsoever on Chickamauga Lake.

"I'd say it would be okay to eat any fish out of Chickamauga Lake," said Wilson. "I'd eat them."

A review of the fishing guide reveals that most advisories are immediately downstream from large metropolitan areas. There are some heavy-duty warnings for waters in and around Memphis. Nickajack Lake downstream from Chattanooga has already been mentioned. And there is also a significant warning on Fort Loudon Lake just downstream from Knoxville.

Anglers can protect themselves further when cleaning fish. Denton says you should remove and discard the belly flap and fatty strip along the backbone and lateral line. Filleting the fish and removing the skin is also wise.

He adds that because adverse health effects are considered to be a result of regular, long-term exposure, an infrequent meal, even of the fish listed in the guide, is not believed to have a measurable health risk.

The signs offering various warnings about eating certain fish will remain on our riverbanks. As Denton points out, fishermen should read them and heed them, just as they should read the ingredients on their favorite cereal box.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Richard,</p>

The TVA article that I referenced shows bottom feeders ( like catfish ) to be very low in mercury contamination so I guess the NO CATFISH warnings that we see are regarding PCB's. </p>

Anyway as was stated "read & heed" should be the way to approach it and being educated on any body of water about this is a good idea.</p>

Thanks again, that reinforces what I think as well. </p>

Excuse me while I look for spices and sauces ! emoCool </p>

 

[Guest]

Lil Mutt - 7/22/2008 4:23 AM



When TVA began placing "Fish Consumption Warnings" around the dams I thought I would just stop consuming "caught" fish altogether.  ( Had some health issues too

I believe the agency in charge of placement of those signs is Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation, not TVA.

http://tennessee.gov/environment/news/release/2008/May/consumption_advisory_2008.shtml

 

[Guest]

That is correct R14</p>

TVA coordinates fish tissue monitoring efforts with state agencies but the state agency has the responsibility to actually post the signs</p>

Thanks </p>

 

[fish4thepeck]

PCB'S are stored in fat cells. Catfish tend to have more fat on them than other species of fish. The larger the fish the more fat they contain. Bass and Panfish don't contain a lot of fat so the PCB'S found in them are very minimal. You would have to consume a very very large amount of crappie, Bass, Bream to see any
effects at all. I would tend to believe that the benefits in eating fish out weighs the danger involved. Mercury and other heavy metals would be a concern though.

 

[Triton4Bass]

I believe more people than you think actually consume the fish from TVA properties. Who really knows what kind of health issues may arise from it, but theres still quite a few who dont care. I never eat em, but my dad eats the bream a good bit. Good luck with whatever you decide...

 

[polo-dog]

Thanks for bringing this question up. There are lots of people that live here that are scared to eat the fish out of Chickamauga and the TN river. The fish are a great source of food and more people should take advantage of the resource.

 

[Pointer 78]

I think I'll stick to eating only fish with "Long John Silver's" on the package.

 

[Nickajack Angler]

Lil Mutt - 7/22/2008 5:41 AM



Yeah KF </p>

Those bluegill are good and I used to fillet them also.  Small but worth every minute of cleaning!</p>

I had some well over 100 panfish days this spring and released all of them !   I need to shop for a nice new fillet knife   maybe even an electric mod </p>

Thanks</p>

I guess I would go with what Richard tells his clients. It's an abridged version, but probably the most sane explanation to the question "should I eat fish from here?"

And if you are in need of a filet knife, make sure to PM BBass and ask what type of electric one he had at the Crackerfest Cleaning.... and DO NOT buy one like that one! emoPoke emoLaugh

 

[Guest]

polo-dog - 7/23/2008 10:28 PM

Thanks for bringing this question up. There are lots of people that live here that are scared to eat the fish out of Chickamauga and the TN river. The fish are a great source of food and more people should take advantage of the resource.

I don't live here but I am close enough to take advantage of this great resource. I believe that God put the fish here for us to eat. Too many folks have been consuming fish from these waters for too many years for there to be much wrong with them. JMHO

 

[Bahama Rick]

Now they say be careful of Tilapia and Catfish from China. I used to eat bream and bass from a small lake as a kid and there was a big apple orchard upstream that used DDT. I'm still kicking 60 yrs later. Spent 25 yr eating all kinds of saltwater fish and some of those had gov. warnings about eating too many. I'd rather take a chance eating a fish than driving thru downtown Atlanta.

 

[Guest]

emoUpsmile </p>

Clear on driving in Atlanta !!!</p>

Last time I went there I was just happy to get out alive.</p>

 

[Guest]

Last month it was tomatoes,this week it is jalapenos. If you watch the news and listen to the junk they spew we will all be dead or broke or worse by morning. Eating fish from Chickamauga Lake will not hurt you. Eating fish from the TN river in moderation will not harm you either
emoBang