I thought water in Massachusetts was pretty clean... looks like most of it has PCB, mercury... this is quite scary!
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/environmental/exposure/fish-consumption-advisory-list.pdf
Do you guys eat some fish you catch?
http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/environmental/exposure/fish-consumption-advisory-list.pdf
Do you guys eat some fish you catch?
Ok I see. Is this a problem in all new england or is it just in Mass? I was thinking to do a trip later this year in champlain lake in vermont or in the 1000 islands to look for big pikes or salmon and eat some of them but if it is the same no need to go that far...
Bassturds is right. lol. A neighbor-friend's father got a 10# Salmon out of Walden Friday. We talk fishing the at kids' parties and functions. He hit powerbait on a dinky spinner with 5# test. This guy is far into retirement, sold his boat, and caught loads of 50# stripers in his life. Point being: he knows what he's doing and spends MANY hours fishing places with unicorn salmon and got 1.
As far as eating fish. ... I think some of the kettle ponds are OK.
I would like to find inexpensive test kits and check a couple little fish for myself. Our fish and game department doesn't impress me one bit. If it's that bad, how would the fish live?
As far as eating fish. ... I think some of the kettle ponds are OK.
I would like to find inexpensive test kits and check a couple little fish for myself. Our fish and game department doesn't impress me one bit. If it's that bad, how would the fish live?
"Our fish and game department doesn't impress me one bit. If it's that bad, how would the fish live?"
I've always wondered about the mercury warnings too. Don't all fish and marine life contain naturally occurring levels of mercury anyhow? I mean, how can it be a bad idea to eat stripers more than 3 times a year if you caught them, but okay to gorge yourself (at restaurants) on tuna and "cod" supposedly caught off of the same coasts? I dunno, but I eat the heck out of fish n chips and just about any other fried seafood offering.
I've always wondered about the mercury warnings too. Don't all fish and marine life contain naturally occurring levels of mercury anyhow? I mean, how can it be a bad idea to eat stripers more than 3 times a year if you caught them, but okay to gorge yourself (at restaurants) on tuna and "cod" supposedly caught off of the same coasts? I dunno, but I eat the heck out of fish n chips and just about any other fried seafood offering.
While mercury is very toxic...the primary contaminates in the waters are (in addition to mercury) PCBs, insecticides, various fertilizing compounds for lawns, and storm drain runoff from roadways.
The Mercury contamination originates in the exhaust of coal fired power plants. The PCBs come from electrical power lines and transformers, the insecticides come from state and local mosquito abatement efforts, The fertilizers come from peoples lawns and the run off come from automobiles.
Most of the Rivers in Mass have at one time been used as open sewers for various factories and cities such as Boston piping house hold waste, untreated, directly into the water.
So are the fish safe to eat? Yes in moderation.
It can be argued that the fish you catch are safer than the fish you buy in the market because you know it is wild caught and not farm raised in a toxic farm pond somewhere in Asia. If you want to buy fish at the store make sure it is either wild caught in US waters or is farm raised in the US. Any fish sourced from Asia is as toxic if not more toxic than local fish.
The Mercury contamination originates in the exhaust of coal fired power plants. The PCBs come from electrical power lines and transformers, the insecticides come from state and local mosquito abatement efforts, The fertilizers come from peoples lawns and the run off come from automobiles.
Most of the Rivers in Mass have at one time been used as open sewers for various factories and cities such as Boston piping house hold waste, untreated, directly into the water.
So are the fish safe to eat? Yes in moderation.
It can be argued that the fish you catch are safer than the fish you buy in the market because you know it is wild caught and not farm raised in a toxic farm pond somewhere in Asia. If you want to buy fish at the store make sure it is either wild caught in US waters or is farm raised in the US. Any fish sourced from Asia is as toxic if not more toxic than local fish.
I find it interesting that I wrote PCB and you read it to mean DDT.
Here are some links on the pesticides used to suppress mosquitos in Mass:
http://npic.orst.edu/mlrDetail.html?lang=en&to=CEX&state=MA#MAWaltham
Here is link on pesticide toxicity in Bees, which I found interesting in a tangental way:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide_toxicity_to_bees
Here is an EPA Link on PCBs:
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/about.htm
Finally, here are some links on the toxicity of plastic bags.
http://www.care2.com/causes/plastic-shopping-bags-laced-with-dangerous-levels-of-toxic-lead.html
It is ironic that the use of lead weights by fisherman is deemed an environmental hazard but the ubiquitous use of plastic shopping bags, which is a much bigger environmental problem continues to this day.
Here are some links on the pesticides used to suppress mosquitos in Mass:
http://npic.orst.edu/mlrDetail.html?lang=en&to=CEX&state=MA#MAWaltham
Here is link on pesticide toxicity in Bees, which I found interesting in a tangental way:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide_toxicity_to_bees
Here is an EPA Link on PCBs:
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/about.htm
Finally, here are some links on the toxicity of plastic bags.
http://www.care2.com/causes/plastic-shopping-bags-laced-with-dangerous-levels-of-toxic-lead.html
It is ironic that the use of lead weights by fisherman is deemed an environmental hazard but the ubiquitous use of plastic shopping bags, which is a much bigger environmental problem continues to this day.
I find it interesting that I wrote PCB and you read it to mean DDT.
Well, the link you originally posted lists DDT warnings as well as PCB ones at different locations (Mystic River seems like a winner, lol). Thanks for the newer ones, some interesting (and sort of depressing) reading for sure.
Well, the link you originally posted lists DDT warnings as well as PCB ones at different locations (Mystic River seems like a winner, lol). Thanks for the newer ones, some interesting (and sort of depressing) reading for sure.