Fish consumption advisory?

[Yak Fish]

So I'm just curious...DNR posts fish consumption advisories for several areas of the bay. Lots of us have been to HH lately and I've eaten a few fish from those waters even though I know those waters are pretty dirty...especially if you go near that rotating bridge. You can smell it. But what's the risk? Is it something that we can't quite quantify that may or may not happen to us down the line or is it some definite problem that has been shown. I posted the link to the advisory page and it says we should only eat 1 serving of rockfish per month. There's about 3-5 servings depending on the size of the fish...I've eaten 5 fish last month....or about 20 servings....so pretty much I'm a goner


http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/...ies%202011.pdf

[chex]

It actually says 3 servings per month if less than 28". So you're only 17 servings above your quota.

Says they contain PCBs... most fish in most places do. At least it's not mercury.

[kevinfry]

What...you want to live forever?

[tufnik]

I guess getting skunked isn't bad after all.

[Shady]

I guess getting skunked isn't bad after all.

lol, I'd rather have the PCBs.

I would think that the worst types of fish to eat would be big catfish or carp since they are more bottom feeders. Stripers grow relatively quick, so I would think the ones in the 20s shouldnt be too bad...

We used to crab around the key bridge when I was a kid once in a while and we always thought the crabs kind of tasted like metal. Gunpowder and even Back river crabs tasted much better and since I've got my kayak I've had crabs from Severn, South and the main bay and they all taste better than the crabs from the patapsco.

[Memory Maker]

I only catch and return in the Patapsco ..........

[Southerly]

i prob'ly exceed during summer months, but i don't freeze. so on avg, i might not be too bad. and by spring, i'm craving a fillet.

i really make more of an effort to keep my young daughter below the advisory. to do this, i often have fish for lunch while she's at school and give her small portions when we have rock for dinner.

i think there's pcb's in other fish we eat and possibly some political finagling to keep it from being labeled - have you ever seen any food advisory labels on local rock at the grocery store, or restaurant? if we know that has pcb's and advisories and that it's not labeled, is there any reason to expect that other fish from other places is better because it's also not labeled.

what can you do? i try to practice moderation, and remain optimistic.

[surfdog]

ive been in the environmental field for 20 years and done a lot of work around the waters in baltimore, have fun catching them but throw them back. with all the chem. companies and the oil terminals on boston st also the marine terminals not to mention the sewage spills the water is a nasty mess. MD has the highest cancer rate. crabs?

[chex]

Since striped bass migrate, do they stay long enough in "bad" areas to actually incorporate the toxins into their flesh? Looking at the DNR advisories I noticed that certain species had local advisories like Eels from the Patapsco, whereas stripers had the same recommended servings per month regardless of location in the bay.

I was also surprised to see that they recommend eating smaller amounts of stripers from the Atlantic ocean than from the bay... why is that?

[medicyaker]

I posted a little note about those waters last month saying I wouldn't eat anything from the Harbor hosp area due in part to the sewage spills in the Patapsco... Just saying... I would love to go and fish that area but I'd NEVER eat anything from that part of the bay. I draw the line at north of the Severn River.

[mmanolis2001]

I will take my risks with a 28" and under striper from the bay over McDonald's cheese burgers for long term health risks.

That being said you wont ever catch me slurping the mustard out of a Bay crab though and my intake of cheese burgers are unfortunately on the high side.

I figure i have a good 20 years left.

[Meadeo]

Couple of things to note when eating fish in consumtion advisory areas..

Always remove the skin, avoid eating the meat around the belly area and always favor eating younger smaller fish over larger older fish as the amount of PCBs and Mercury is in direct correlation to the age of the fish and the amount of time it has spent at the top of the food chain collecting toxins.

I eat lots of fish that i catch but i take the extra time to prepare them the best i can to insure i am limiting my exposure to PCBS and Mercury.

Enjoy your catch just know what your eating and do not over do it.

Meadeo

[DOGFISH]

This is interesting. Last year recreational fisherman started using the health advisory as a tactic against commercial striped bass fishing/netting. They started making it known to the public that there was an advisory of one portion or meal of striped bass per month. Shortly thereafter, I think it is the Department of the Environment, came out with a revised advisory of three portions of striped bass per month. I don't know. You make the call.


Ahh yes, the yellow mustard from a blue crab. Anyone ever seen the map of cancer cases in Maryland. Ever wonder why the red counties are all surrounding the bay. I like cheese burgers too. Of course, ever read the ingredients on the packages of the foods you eat?

[Shady]

I dont like mustard in all crabs, but every once in a while you get that super fat stuffed crab with the solid mustard. I dont care what they say Im not going to give that stuff up!

[chex]

I'm guessing softshells are no good at all? You're basically eating the whole thing... mustard and all.