Contaminated fish?

[piece-it pete]

Seeing how in a nother thread two of us mentioned contaminated fish, I was wondering if this is a largely "industrial" area issue or if it's more of a nationwide one.

Have you heard fish warnings in your neck of the woods?

Yes here in Cleveland. You're not supposed to consume more than x amount of Lake Erie fish in a week, mercury and other nastiness.

Pete

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Seeing how in a nother thread two of us mentioned contaminated fish, I was wondering if this is a largely "industrial" area issue or if it's more of a nationwide one.

Have you heard fish warnings in your neck of the woods?

Yes here in Cleveland. You're not supposed to consume more than x amount of Lake Erie fish in a week, mercury and other nastiness.

Pete

We have been told not to consume any fish from the bay here in San Francisco.

[dean_martin]

we've been warned of mercury levels here along the Gulf Coast, particularly in Mobile Bay and sometimes our oysters are edible and sometimes they're not.

[dean_martin]

Hey Pete - remember these lines circa 1970?

Mercy, mercy me
things ain't what they used to be
Oil wasted on the ocean and upon our seas,
fish full of mercury

[piece-it pete]

So by the sound of it all major bodies of water are contaminated?

I knew it was bad but jeez.

Dean I was 3 for most of 1970. They did sound familiar, and with a little digging I recognize the song.

There's also this gem:

Time was when an American about to go abroad would be warned by his friends or the guidebooks not to drink the water. But times have changed and now a foreigner coming to this country might be offered the following advice.

If you visit American city,
You will find it very pretty.
Just two things of which you must beware:
Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air.

Pollution, pollution,
They got smog and sewage and mud.
Turn on your tap and get hot and cold running crud.

See the halibuts and the sturgeons
Being wiped out by detergents.
Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly...
But they don't last long if they try.

Pollution, pollution,
You can use the latest toothpaste,
And then rinse your mouth with industrial waste.

Just go out for a breath of air,
And you'll be ready for Medicare.
The city streets are really quite a thrill...
If the hoods don't get you, the monoxide will.

Pollution, pollution,
Wear a gas mask and a veil.
Then you can breathe, long as you don't inhale.

Lots of things there that you can drink,
But stay away from the kitchen sink.
The breakfast garbage that you throw in to the Bay...
They drink at lunch in San Jose.

So go to the city, see the crazy people there.
Like lambs to the slaughter...
They're drinking the water...
And breathing <cough> the air.
_______________________________

Pollution, by Tom Lehrer. I really like this guy.

Pete

[Worf101]

Two wildly different takes on the same problem. Both still relevent as hell particularly since while the environmental problem has improved in the developed world, the rising economies, particularly in China, could give a hoot about the environment. They just want to get paid whether or not we all have to choke for it doesn't matter to them. I love Tom Lehrer, my particular fave is "National Brotherhood Week". And of course you all know how I feel about "What's Going On?" by Marvin Gaye. That album gets my vote for greatest of all time.

Da "where the heck is my gas mask" Worfster :cool:

[kexodusc]

Two wildly different takes on the same problem. Both still relevent as hell particularly since while the environmental problem has improved in the developed world, the rising economies, particularly in China, could give a hoot about the environment. They just want to get paid whether or not we all have to choke for it doesn't matter to them. Da "where the heck is my gas mask" Worfster :cool:

It's a sad state of affairs when ya can't even eat a fish ya catch.

Worfster, you've got to remember that we got rich and fat off those same dirty filthy stinky technologies, and now we're sayin' they can't do the same. It's one thing to try to prevent them from killing the world, but there's got to be balance too. If they don't get to use the cheap, easy, dirty technologies, well, they should probably be compensated by the rich countries that did. Otherwise they'll never get ahead.
I'm not a big fan of their government, but I feel for the little kids that get sold to sweat-shops. I dunno, there's got to be a good answer out there somewhere.

It just seems everytime we do something dirty first and get ahead, we conveniently tell everyone else "No, that's bad. Don't do that."

Doesn't seem honorable.

[jack70]

.....fish full of mercury
I don't want to minimize REAL pollution problems, but does anyone remember the story a year or 2 back where one of the earliest cans of Tuna fish (from the early 1900's?) was discovered in good condition... forget whether it was from Antarctica or whatever. Anyway, they tested it and the mercury levels were equal to that found in fish today. That tends to show that certain species use different elements in their metabolism differently than others (species). If true, it's not surprising, from a bio/genetic perspective... we all have different organs that are each "made" from different elements, at least from a chemical / statistical breakdown. It's totally possible that SOME of the Tuna residual mercury levels seen today are actually quite "NATURAL"

Just something to consider. I'm not saying we shouldn't research and be wary of contaminants, but sometimes the press & media hype these "warnings" in a haphazard way... or rather, they tend to BLAME modern civilization for ALL our woes. They tend to write about the very worst examples, and give precious little ink to all the cleanups and progress that's happened in many many areas. And we, as consumers, tend to ENJOY being scared. It just may be that eating LOTS of tuna isn't any more healthy than eating a diet full of brownies & cake. Just a little perspective.

[kexodusc]

Anybody here got Mercury fillings in their teeth? :D

[markw]

Seriously, down the shore here it's rare that we can dig clams and eat 'em, not that I've ever dug clams myself (I'm a city boy). Used to be safe but with all the pollution from here and NY, it's just not safe. I think they just lifted that sanction, though.

but, they never had a problem with our famous home grown blue claw crabs... wonder why?

Now, crabs I've done. We would rent a boat, go out as the tide was coming in, drop a dozen or so weighted drop lines with fishheads or two day old chicken parts, wait for a tug on 'em and sllloooooooooooooly bring 'em up. as soon as you see 'the crab nibbling away through the murky water, you ever so gently slide a net under 'em and scoop 'em up.

Get a bushel full, go home, drop 'em in a big pot of boiling water (with old bay seasoning) and,after about 15 -20 minutes let 'em cool down.

clear off the table, cover it with newspapers, dump the cooked crabs in the middle, passout the pliers and start crackin' 'em and eatin' em. Oh yeah, beer and corn help. ....lotsa beer.

Granted, you work off more calories gettin' the meat out but with the beer, who cares? ;)