C&R helper

[DZ]

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.

[numbskull]

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).

[FishermanTim]

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.

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

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.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by DZ

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?

[DZ]

Originally Posted by MakoMike

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.

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by DZ

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.)