contaminated halibut from Bay

I dont like to be a party pooper, but I hear so many people say that Halibut are safe to eat in SF Bay becuase they spend most of their time in the ocean. Not true. They migrate just like Striped Bass, and are similarly poluted. Do a little research before eating more than a meal or two per month, and don't give ANY to children or pregnant/breast feeding moms.  It's too bad, I live in Berkeley and love Halibut.     http://www.ewg.org/reports/taintedcatch/part2.php    http://www.ewg.org/reports/taintedcatch/part3.php

You are officially the party pooper .  Just kidding thanks for the info. At the rate I catch halibut it shouldn't be a problem. 

Any info on Rockfish?

Jason

very interesting!   looks like some new class of flame-retardant, PBDE's, mixed into various consumer products,  is
the cause.  This looks to be a relatively new pollutant,  a function of having to make things be flame-retardant.
there is never a ying without a yang...

I didn't see them talking about 'safe' levels of this one, it's a complicated chemical and they like it to the dreaded PCB's
banned back in 1977, but it is an enviro watchdog site, they could be hyping the dangers for their own agenda.
Would be good to see some other source on this one!

all in all, very 'zodiac'.

I wonder about commercially caught halibut. You'd want to know where it was caught and whether ocean caught is
safe to eat too.

J

Like J said, " At the rate I catch em I should be safe".  I wonder about the fish in Monterey or up in Tomales Bay?
D

i think any fish that feeds on other fish pretty much have mercury and one should limit consumption. especially the older nearshore fishes which eat fish. mercury has a tendency to accumulate over time and in older fish it makes sense they have higher mercury levels.

the trick is to spread it out. when you catch fish, keep a portion for yourself and then distribute it out to family and friends. that way if there is a mercury level measuring device, you can throw a party and everyone can see how full of mercury they are!

 

that way if there is a mercury level measuring device, you can throw a party and everyone can see how full of mercury they are!

Kind of like going to a kegger with a breathalizer.  Good times.

JP

Looks to me like San Pablo bay Halibut have much lower PDBE numbers than those caught near Oyster Point.   It seems to me from reading the report that less industrial/populated areas are going to have lower PDBE levels.  In other words, Monterey Bay, Tomales Bay, and the open ocean are likely to have much lower levels than SF Bay fish.

From their report...



As for rockfish... I don't think PDBE is going to much of an issue with them based on their location.  However, mercury could still be a concern.

Here is a link to mercury levels in commercial fish... note that Ocean Perch are a species of rockfish.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html

On a brighter note, Last Wednesday's New York Times had an article on what fish are safe to eat, and it gave "Pacific Halibut" an excellent score for safety (safe to eat more than once a week, if you are not a child or pregnant). I think Pacific Halibut is mostly caught in Alaska and is different from California Halibut, but maybe any halibut caught outside the Bay is OK.

This issue is a party pooper in general.  To keep it simple and safe I don't eat anything out of the bay except salmon.

I usually keep that same rule, except I really want to eat some Halibut.  What are my odds of becoming a human waste land after one fish?

Also if the fish enter the Bay how long does it take contaminent to build up in their fatty tissue.  Are the PBDE's in mosty subcutaneous fatty tissue or is it throughout.  That way if you stay away from meat near high fat concentration areas then you would have less PBDE's?  More of a question than a statement.

Thanks God for Sean and Bsteves

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN  THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON HALIBUT ANY QUESTIONS

If you really want to eat a flatty go to Monterey or Tomales.  Tomales actually has some mercury issues, but its not in the flaties.

So why am I fishing at OP?

Jason

The scenery?  The olfactory stimulous?

hey flame redardent is fireproof.well call it sushi. pretty funny