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June 20, 2004
fish heads fish heads...
roly poly fish heads....fish heads fish heads, eat them up, yum!
Well, okay maybe fish heads aren't so great to eat, but fish in general can be mighty tasty to a lot of people.
I actually didn't grow up eating any fish or seafood with the exception of tuna fish from a can. We were landlocked, in Spokane and Boise, and fresh fish wasn't something my parents ever ate or cooked. So it wasn't until I moved to Seattle and to Boston that I realized that there is a lot of seafood that I should at least try.
Joe still thinks I'm picky about fish and seafood, but really, you are talking about someone who never touched most fish until she turned 23 or 24, so I think I'm doing pretty good. I love most shellfish...shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, mussels. I'm pickier about fish though, tending to enjoy salmon and tuna best, although I do think swordfish and mahi mahi are pretty good.
But as I've started to become very aware of my health and the types of foods I'm putting into my body (and the impact of how those foods being farmed or harvested may have on the environment), I've learned that when it comes to fish, there are several factors that make me decide not to choose or buy it.
First and foremost, is the harmful ways that over-fishing can hurt the environment and destroy full species of fish. I don't eat swordfish anymore because of this, but I really wasn't aware of the full range of fish that are affected by poor farming methods and overfishing.
Someone on one of the health boards I frequent mentioned that orange roughy has been farmed nearly to commercial extinction, just as we are starting to learn about this unique fish. The Orange Roughy lives 2,500 to 6,000 feet below the surface, which is put into perspective by the fact that most people can only dive to 200 feet. This has made it extremely difficult to study the life of these fish. Recent examinations of this fish have found that it can live to be 150 years old and is not mature until the age of 20. This means that at dinner you could be eating a fish that was born before your grandparents. Because of their slow breeding cycle the fisheries are quickly becoming depleted and will take decades to recover. Orange roughy are caught by bottom trawling, a method which can damage the seafloor, with unknown impacts on the fragile deep-sea ecosystem.
This person pointed to a great resource by the Monterey Bay Aquarium to knowing what types of fish to avoid because of the detrimental impact that farming/catching these fish have on both the species and the environment. It's worth printing out the cards so you know what to avoid at the market or in restaraunts.
Another thing that I'm also pretty aware of these days is mercury poisoning. Mercury is being found in increasing amounts in many types of fish. Being exposed to too much mercury can result in loss of motor skills, memory, and even kidney damage. Most people don't eat enough fish to be affected, but in recent years, fish has been touted as one of the healthiest foods, so consumption has increased dramatically.
KEEP ON READING....
In 2001, the FDA issued a warning that pregnant women should avoid tilefish, shark, swordfish and king mackerel. The warning further suggested that no more than 12 oz. of fish a week should be eaten.
Now, the reason for the warning is to protect the unborn baby, but what happens to the rest of us who eat fish? What about those who consistently eat fish 2-3 times a week--more than 12 oz.? Tuna, sushi, sea bass, etc... Pretty easy to eat a lot of fish if you are trying to adhere to a lowfat diet and you eat out a lot. Mercury builds up in the body over time, so prolonged exposure could be detrimental.
Interestingly enough, in March 2004, the FDA revised their warning...but the problem is, while it briefly mentions children, it doesn't include other adults. Cleanwateraction.org also warns against eating any freshwater fish caught in New England.
Doctors are starting to see the effects of too much mercury in their patients. Many think that the FDA levels are far too low. A recent letter to the FDA by a group of doctors and scientists cites three reports that are actually quite alarming.
But even if they aren't too low, it's pretty darn easy to meet those limits and not even realize it. If you are a fish eater, check out the mercury calculator at gotmercury.org. It's pretty eye-opening when you see how easy it would be to overdo the recommended limits...just 4 oz of tuna, 6 oz of red snapper and 6 oz of lobster puts you 140% over.
Even more disturbing is that Bush has pushed to REDUCE mercury standards in favor of coal-fired power plants. The Sierra Club has even more information on this atrocity.
So really, I think it's okay that I don't like much fish. By eating less fish, I'm doing the environment and often, my own body, a favor.
Posted by crystallyn at June 20, 2004 07:32 PM
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Comments
Yike! Those are sobering statistics. I'm another landlubber (Midwestern who ate bison before she ate shellfish) who incorporates moderate amounts of seafood in her diet, partly because of taste, partly because of cost and increasingly moderate amounts due to health concerns.
Posted by: Ancarett at June 21, 2004 02:03 PM
I have cut out almost all fish from my diet, because its too hard to keep track of what is safe and what is not. As a kid I ate tuna from a can 2-3 times a week - the albacore type. :(
Posted by: heidi at June 23, 2004 07:38 AM
I bet it was a bit safer back then. We've done a lot of destruction of our waterways in the last 25 years. :(
Posted by: crystal at June 23, 2004 11:29 AM
I thought the mercury warnings were for if you ate huge amounts of fish, or if you regularly ate large predator fish that ate other fish, or if you ate the farm-raised because those conditions aren't real healthy anyhow, but that fresh & salt water pan fish were ok, depending on where you caught them.
Posted by: Shanna at June 24, 2004 10:03 AM
I love fish! I even eat herring sometimes! But I'm in Holland so maybe the water is better here, who knows! I think I'll continue eating fish. I think that when you dig deep enough, you'll find that there's something wrong with all kinds of foods.
Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog!
Posted by: JustAgirl at June 28, 2004 09:41 AM
I live at 31457 Commonwealth in Seattle. Been up here before?
Posted by: Mike Flacklestein at July 6, 2006 09:24 PM