Man goes numb for a year b/c Ciguatera poisoning!!

Boy, am I glad I didn't eat any reef fish when I was down in the BVI!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070402/ap_on_he_me/asia_toxic_fish;_ylt=Al.IfgJ8c79KJ.UQRcxtHJTMWM0F

I don't really fish for sport, I fish for food so that report is a little disturbing. Sounds like were safe for now in the cold pacific waters up here

Reef fish sound like the mushrooms of the sea.

WARNING!!!! Other dangerous activities that you may be tempted to do, but are in fact similarly dangerous to eating Barracuda include:

Trying to feed marshmallows to the bears in Yellowstone. From your mouth.
Again in Yellowstone - Trying to ride the Bison.
Playing "who's got the better reflexes" with your pet rattlesnake.
Kayaking in your squirtboat around Año Nuevo. In December.
Just chucking the guidebook, and eating those pretty white mushrooms.
"Tipping" Moose.

Ciguateria is a growing problem in Hawaii too.  Barracudas(kaku), larger trevally(ulua), peacock groupers(roi), amberjacks(kahala), and some snappers(uku) are the most prevalent.

There are certain areas and fish that you just learn to avoid, but the most disconcerting fact is that it's also cummulative.  As a result, some of my friends have been subject to the effects of it without eating any of the "high risk" fish.  They recover fine, but it takes a much smaller dose of it to trigger the effects again.


One of the "facts" of the article I didn't agree with is the lack of a reliable test.  There has been a reliable test for well over a decade in Hawaii.  It was even commercialized for a bit.  The problem was never on of reliability of results, but that it had a limited shelf life.


In any case, it's def. something to worry about... but luckily not anywhere in the West Coast.