Geees, what next
http://m.capecodtimes.com/article/20151129/NEWS/151129397

I always laugh when I read these things. not a single state that list any fish as not to be eaten or have meal limits siggested has any of the fish on those list also listed as not to be sold commercially in their states. MMMM makes a body wonder as if it's that bad it shouldn't be sold. everybody has an angle on the dangle so to speak.

"said Dean Clark, Massachusetts co-chairman of the conservation organization Stripers Forever"

Mmmmm .
There's the dangle angle right there.
Another thinly veiled attempt to interfere with the Massachusetts commercial striped bass fishery from the Maine based whiners forver.
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the flip side is that maybe all the species mentioned really aren't safe, but the states give in to the political psuh from the commercial interests to not close them completely.................?

As many of you may know the PCB contamination issue with striped bass may have been the real reason the species bounced back after the 1980s swoon. An interesting observation from that time period was that the Rhode Island Department of health banned the sale of striped bass within the state for a short time. But while they banned sale in Rhody they permitted the sale of striped bass TO OTHER STATES by consignment. Most bass were shipped from Rhode Island to other states through the Fulton Fish Market in NY who would pay for the bass. This was a huge loophole in interstate commerce. At the time I called the RI Department of Health and asked them how they could ban a product in Rhode Island but still allow the contaminated product to be shipped elsewhere for consumption? They immediately asked me if I was an attorney which I’m not.
Anyway this looks like a new attempt to remove the commercial pressure on striped bass. I’m quite surprised it has taken this long to resurrect the idea. With today’s social media it would be fairly simple to start organizing boycotts of certain restaurants that serve striped bass. Probably the next step.

It is about time this issue get a hearing and some action at the state level.

For commercial sale, I'm not sure this is that big an issue since consumers buy single meals from any given fish (i.e., if you buy striped bass to eat 10x a year you are exposed to the average toxin level from 10 different fish). Provided average toxin levels are reasonable (as they seem to be) the risks are small.

The real issue is for recreational fishermen. If you keep a large fish and eat repeated meals from it you can get a serious toxin exposure if that single fish happens to be high in toxin levels. This is particularly dangerous to your kids.

This is not an insignificant issue. I know of two recreational fishermen in my town alone who had significant neurological problems related to mercury poisoning they acquired by eating seafood (although I believe repeated meals from tuna not bass was the likely culprit).

The higher in the food chain the greater the possibility of hgher toxin levels. That makes sense.
The problem lies in what fish you are eating.
Bass eat smaller baitfish and the occasional herring and bunker (when they are available after the schools have been decimated from netters).
Tuna eat these too, but also eat bluefish, which also eat these too!
By these comparisons, the tuna would be exponentially more toxic than bass.

As many of you may know the PCB contamination issue with striped bass may have been the real reason the species bounced back after the 1980s swoon. An interesting observation from that time period was that the Rhode Island Department of health banned the sale of striped bass within the state for a short time. But while they banned sale in Rhody they permitted the sale of striped bass TO OTHER STATES by consignment. Most bass were shipped from Rhode Island to other states through the Fulton Fish Market in NY who would pay for the bass. This was a huge loophole in interstate commerce. At the time I called the RI Department of Health and asked them how they could ban a product in Rhode Island but still allow the contaminated product to be shipped elsewhere for consumption? They immediately asked me if I was an attorney which I’m not.
Anyway this looks like a new attempt to remove the commercial pressure on striped bass. I’m quite surprised it has taken this long to resurrect the idea. With today’s social media it would be fairly simple to start organizing boycotts of certain restaurants that serve striped bass. Probably the next step.

As I recall the PCB contamination problem was confined to the Hudson river striped bass, and that while Chessie striped bass had some contamination they were deemed safe enough to eat. Am I wrong?

Anyone who believes that the underlying cause of the Maine based conservation group stripers forever to bring yet another bill before the Massachusetts state house regarding the interest of the striped bass being purely for the health concerns of the human species and not just yet another roundabout attempt to shut down the commercial fishery in Massachusetts is a fool.

As I recall the PCB contamination problem was confined to the Hudson river striped bass, and that while Chessie striped bass had some contamination they were deemed safe enough to eat. Am I wrong?

You're correct Mike - but determining origin of the bass was not possible so all bass were banned from RI sale. There was much controversy in the testing for PCBs. Some states tested fillets only, some states tested other parts of the bass. At the time most bass were being shipped to California markets through Fulton. I was fishing Block heavily back then. Lots of surfcasting pin hookers were there at the time. During the ban word was the pin hookers were shipping bass to NY on consignment through Handrigan Seafood. There were also some rumors on Block about guys that would fillet bass and send the fillets into NY by air.

back in the early 60's there was an area in the NY bright that was called "The Acid Waters'',it was several square miles in diameter and a pee yellow in color. it was an area where waste from Union Carbide {i think } was dumped.the edges of waste feild was the feeding grounds of quite a few species,bluefish, tuna fish and swords etc.it was a very popular fishing grounds, i would think that those fish must have had pretty high concentrations of toxins,yet there was no warning of danger, now adays everything has a page or two of warnings

If the state is going to issue advisories, it is almost negligent to leave out stripers. People consider the advisories. The absence of striped bass might lead one to conclude they are completely safe. That could lead to unsafe consumption levels , particularly for kids. The stripers forever connection is a red herring.
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The higher in the food chain the greater the possibility of hgher toxin levels. That makes sense.
The problem lies in what fish you are eating.
Bass eat smaller baitfish and the occasional herring and bunker (when they are available after the schools have been decimated from netters).
Tuna eat these too, but also eat bluefish, which also eat these too!
By these comparisons, the tuna would be exponentially more toxic than bass.
Tuna have high levels of mercury, bass are moderate, so yeah they are more toxic . Moderate mercury level fish still a problem for kids.
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You're correct Mike - but determining origin of the bass was not possible so all bass were banned from RI sale. There was much controversy in the testing for PCBs. Some states tested fillets only, some states tested other parts of the bass. At the time most bass were being shipped to California markets through Fulton. I was fishing Block heavily back then. Lots of surfcasting pin hookers were there at the time. During the ban word was the pin hookers were shipping bass to NY on consignment through Handrigan Seafood. There were also some rumors on Block about guys that would fillet bass and send the fillets into NY by air.

That's why NY bans the sale of striped bass caught west of a line which is roughly in the middle of LI. Tagging studies have shown that most of the Hudson river fish don't migrate north and east more than 50 miles from the mouth of the river. (of course some do.)

Just a new tactic by the special interest group in Maine to destroy the commercial striped bass fishery.
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Just a new tactic by the special interest group in Maine to destroy the commercial striped bass fishery.
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Spot on i believe.

When people think of mercury levels in fish they think of tuna, swordfish etc, not so much the smaller fish like stripers. I am talking about your average consumer. I noticed a sign in CT at a public fishing spot warning about consumption limits of certain species. I have never seen a warning at a grocery store or sushi shops.

I really don't see why striper is in demand. It is so far down on my list of fish that i prefer to eat.

I really don't see why striper is in demand. It is so far down on my list of fish that i prefer to eat.

Rob, Maybe you don't know how to cook it! LOL

Rob, Maybe you don't know how to cook it! LOL


I knew i would catch something for saying that. :laugha: I have tried it many different ways baked, grilled, fried the only way i like it is in fish cakes. Sad that i prefer to eat Pollack over striper. I gotta admit i have often thought about how good the 16" fish i am throwing back would taste.

POLLACK! :)

Way back when Spring Schoolies where on my table pretty regular that time of year and if memory serves me correctly they where milder tasting than the big guys....

Bass is just average to me also. So many better tasting critters in the sea.
But if I'm going to do bass, blackened over garlic mashed potatoes paired with a good Malbec ain't bad.
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Striper is mediocre at best, though a nice 20" Chesapeake keeper is good eating.

maybe that should be the next tacic Stripers Forever tries.....


"porgies- SO MUCH better than bass!"

Heads up all: there ARE two bills before the agricultural and resources committee active right now.. thefishingfreak and big jay are right on. H 476 is yet another attempt to wipeout commercial bass fishing. If you have an issue either way you should submit your letters to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Natural resources and Environment at the State House. The co-chairs are: anne.gobi@masenate.gov,
Paul.Schmid@mahouse.gov

476 intends to close commercial bass by attrition by 2025 and stop permit issues to those that can't prove 1000# each year for the last 5 years.