Thread: 2016 ADPH Fish Advisories

http://www.adph.org/tox/assets/Fish_...pdate_2016.pdf

The ADPH recommends that sensitive populations -- women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding, and children under 14 -- refrain from eating any king mackerel, shark, swordfish, or tilefish, and limit consumption of white tuna to 6 ounces per week. Those species carry high concentrations of mercury and other toxins which accumulate up the food chain.

Nothing (NEW) to see here folks.
Move along...

It looks like I have NOTHING to worry about, if the restriction is for fish 39 inches or more!
King Mackerel Under 39 inches
No restriction
Moving along......

Unfortunately, I haven't had to worry about king mac advisory length limit for quite some time.

I still say show me the person who has been hurt by eating too much king mackerel. Looks like there is no such person.

Now let's look for people who have been hurt by eating too much of all the typical grocery store processed junk. 1/3 of Alabamians are obese, over 10% have diabetes. Where is the advisory on Coca-Cola?

I have nothing to worry about I can't eat fish. Sure love to catch em.

Originally Posted by Pierless

I still say show me the person who has been hurt by eating too much king mackerel. Looks like there is no such person.

Now let's look for people who have been hurt by eating too much of all the typical grocery store processed junk. 1/3 of Alabamians are obese, over 10% have diabetes. Where is the advisory on Coca-Cola?

The impact of high levels of mercury on kids is well documented, similar to lead exposure.
But its an advisory, people may choose to follow it or not.
Anyone who catches a lot of big kings (or largemouth bass out of just about every coastal river) and wants to feed them 3-4 times a week to their young kids and pregnant wife, that's their choice.
There are a lot other fish that don't bio-accumulate mercury, why take the chance???

CarlF - You bring up a good point about coastal largemouth bass, which a coastal resident is more likely to consume regularly than king mackerel over 39 inches. I believe in the science behind the bioaccumulation of mercury. While it may not be something that is immediately deadly (bioaccumulation is a process, after all) if it leads to any degree of mental slowness or neurological impairment or long term cancer risk (a shorter life down the road for your present small children) -- I agree with you - why take the chance (on THEM, if there's a THEM) when there are so many other choices for fish consumption than largemouth bass and large king mackerel? For my own circumstances, it's just me - my kids are grown and my wife doesn't eat fish. I'd likely give away a large king because it's more fish than I could eat, anyway!

Where does Mercury in fish come from? Is it just in saltwater or freshwater or both?

Originally Posted by witler

Where does Mercury in fish come from? Is it just in saltwater or freshwater or both?

Volcanoes and spreading ridges, coal burning power plants, gold mining (small operations, but these probably do not affect us much in the GoM). Old oil well drill cuttings were documented to have a localized effect (cuttings are not dumped on the floor anymore).

The ratio of natural sources to anthropogenic is not really known. Mercury is a necessary nutrient in small doses and it is not really known what the effect of low levels is. There is evidence that selenium deficiency has an important effect as the brain takes up mercury if it cannot get selenium (selenium is also toxic at some level, but a necessary nutrient).

I take a selenium supplement just in case.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0629081932.htm

The Surprising Source of Most Mercury Pollution

What frednic said....