Do You Eat the Fish?
80Fresh from Florida!
Do you eat the fish? It is a question I’m often asked. Usually, a newcomer is asking. I guess, since I write for a fishing magazine, I should know. Floridians grow up with the notion that local waters are a source for their next meal. Apprehension centers more on the possibility of becoming a meal for a large predator than the quality of the catch.
Today, the Indian River Lagoon is lined with homes, industries and businesses that owe their existence to the transfiguration of the natural habitat. The singular eye of Florida development has not focused on preservation at all. Every law that preserves the environment is an impediment to the interests of developers.
Improvements?
These homes, industries and businesses have covered the surface of the land with road material, parking lots, lawns and landscaping. The lawns and landscapes require constant applications of fertilizers and insecticides to survive. During rains, massive quanities of water soluble chemicals are borne into the lagoon or leach through the porous soil and coquina rock into the aquifer. Storm run-off from roads and parking lots is whisked through a drainage system that spews a cocktail of petroleum products, debris and refuse directly into the lagoon . . . untreated.
. . . spewing a cocktail of petroleum products . . .
I tell everyone who asks . . . consumption of fish or shellfish from the lagoon is questionable, but seems tolerable. I have eaten plenty. Who can resist stone crab, jumbo shrimp or mangrove snapper? I know people who consistently eat everything they catch and dont seem to have suffered ill effects. Well, some may have suffered ill effects, but it could be from a life of debauchery. Occasionally, I will eat something from an area I reckon to be safe. I can’t say that I have had any associated problems, unless it is the cause of hair loss.
Author with fat backwater Mangrove Snapper
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I am not a scientist or a physician. I write for fishing magazines so people want my opinion. Realizing my ignorance and responsibility to educate the public, I did some research. I contacted experts, programs and agencies all over the state. I was impressed by the caliber of the those who are charged with concern for the environment of Florida. It is encouraging.
I’m afraid I became compulsive about the research when I couldn’t find information about comprehensive studies or regulatory measures. No one has determined whether it is safe to consume seafood from the Indian River Lagoon system. The clam industry may be the exception, but they can only attest to the fact that clams from commercial beds are safe and don’t monitor clams harvested from other areas.
Many agencies, like the E.P.A. and Department of Health, issue advisories when there is a problem. Usually, it takes an incident to raise concern. Right now, there are advisories about mercury in pelagic fish and high levels of deadly saxitoxins in puffer fish. To avoid the chance of mercury poisoning, err on the side of caution. Do not eat fish from Florida waters more than once a week (oops!). Don’t even consider eating that delectable little shrimp-like tail portion on those poison puffers . . . even cleaned properly, it will still get you. This is new. Locals have traditionally enjoyed the esoteric delicacy. No one knows why the fish have suddenly turned poisonous.
According to state funded studies, there are areas of the lagoon where the water quality is substandard. They are limited to estuaries that run through areas of concentrated commercial development and the power plant in Titusville. Ciguitera (fish poisoning) was mentioned often as a threat in state waters. It is not of much concern in the lagoon.It is found in fish that consume corals or fish that consume the fish that consume corals. Be careful in the keys.
So, after much research, it appears that I am not the only one who cannot tell you how safe it is to consume seafood from the lagoon. So far, there are no definitive studies on the subject. There are studies but they are toxin specific and don’t include the general edibility of seafood.
What about fertilizer, insecticides and run-off? There must be something unhealthy or carcinogenic in all of that. What about the polluted areas of the lagoon? Aren’t they connected to the rest of
the lagoon? Isn’t pollution dispersing? Won’t it get into the fish and shellfish? Is it really safe to eat anything out of the lagoon?
Is it safe to eat anything at all? Cancer and other problems that result from the ingestion and exposure to harmful substances and pathogens are at epidemic levels. We are worried about the quality of fresh caught local fish, but we don’t hesitate to devour fish from a restaurant or grocery store. Do you think the water is cleaner in Thailand or the Indian Ocean than it is around here? After being handled and shipped can this seafood possibly be safer to eat than freshly caught fish from local waters? How about chicken, hot dogs, cheese spread, canned goods, snack foods, soft drinks, milk, meat or even fruit and vegetables? It’s all loaded with something funky.
Grocery Shopping in Florida
Not long ago, I was shopping in a grocery store. When I pulled a jug of spring water from the shelf a nice lady asked me, ”Are you going to drink that spring water?” When I answered in the affirmative, she cringed and informed me that she was new to the area and had been warned of contaminates in Florida spring water. “Only ozonized water is safe to drink!"
I told her that I have tried the ozonized water and found it to have a strange chemical taste. Besides, ozonized water is simply water that has been jetted into a fine mist and recollected. She insisted that there was more to the process and the taste was probably residual from the plastic container. Perhaps there is more to the process, but the spring water tastes sweet, and it is bottled in the same plastic jug. I don’t trust the weird tasting water.
I noticed her cart contained frozen entrees, grapes from Chile, mangoes from Mexico and an assortment of vegetables (including genetically engineered hot house tomatoes). I asked her, “Are you going to eat the groceries in your cart?” She answered in the affirmative.
Why worry about the spring water?
The sad truth is that we digest and absorb a lot of harmful contaminates, chemicals, micro-organisms and such as we gobble our groceries. There is little or no pristine water left on the planet. Our food is produced, processed and preserved with chemical agents. Organic contaminates are also an issue. Shall I get into radiation and nuclear issues? Lets face it . . .the endeavors of modern man have left a legacy of pollution and contamination. In regards to this, the lifestyle of our culture produces a strange, neurotic dichotomy of acceptance and denial.
Yes! I eat the fish!
FFWCC . . . a good place to start.
- Fishing in Florida
FFWCC web site
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Links: Environmental Concerns and Diet
- Where Did My Food Come From
A professional chef, chefsref, expounds on arsenic in our apple juice, frankenfish, antibiotics in our fish and chicken and honey. What are we eating? - Environmental Concerns and Diet - Dietary Restrictions - HubPages.com
The concerns for a healthy environment and safe food are not mutually exclusive. Many of the same elements that are harmful for the environment make our food unhealthy or less healthy.
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Thanks for the pertinent observation. While we are heading headlong into world wide development, we need to check ourselves before we destroy our life source.
At this point the mountain streams around me are safe enough for fish - there isn't much in the way of industry or towns there. Unfortunately, it is bound to change; man keeps reproducing and needs space.
It is sad when we allow our waters to become too polluted to eat from. We now know better, and have the capability to clean our water supplies up - why don't we? Maybe when the cost of having dirty water (lives, health and wildlife) outweighs the cost of keeping it clean.
Amen, brother. Your'e preaching to the choir! I don't think they will get to those streams before there is nothing on the grocer's shelf but tomato soup. Regardless, we don't have to do it this way. It is about being responsible. Greedy developers don't understand what is important. Like Tecumseh said, "Sell the land? You may as easily sell the mighty clouds of the sky, or the vast, roaring ocean."
Good one and you didn't even touch on the question if it is safe to breath the air while fishing!
After being away from fishing since the 70's in California, I have been getting the urge to start it all over again and stopped by Sports Authority to check out the gear. Most of the labels are the same but darned if I could find one MADE IN AMERICA - a subject for another hub...
Don't get me started. Bye bye Cotee jigs who went belly up. The last hold out was Penn and they off-shored. We aren't doing anyone any favors, either. It's a rip off of the workers and I am on their side. On the upside the retro-rods that the Chinese are putting out (stainless eyes and all) are top notch. I can't knock good craftsmanship. I hate to think the Chinese craftsman is suffering low wages just so I can get it $10 cheaper. I can't enjoy a day of leisure when I think about it.
You make us think before we eat.For years I would think if they sold it in supermarkets it has to be healthy right.I guess I had my head deeper in the water than the fish.I know we have to eat and sometimes it is easier not to think about it.Your hub showed many concerns that we all should be aware of. Good luck fishing.
There is no luck involved in fishing. It is pure skill.
Seriously, thanks for the shout out. It is not too late to clean up our act. We owe it to the future. It is hard work to change the direction of an entire culture. Are we up to the task?
....well we may be Canadians and we may be Americans but a great mind; a great thinker - is universal and even though some of your hubs (god bless) are based on regional stories which are dear and important to you - it's in your team spirit and positive outlook at the bigger picture that ultimately redeems us all - thank you for your open mind and strong attitude and thank you so much for your royal endorsement of my humble little huspace - coming from a great writer (and thinker) like you really means a lot!
lake erie time ontario canada 10:37am high winds and cooler temperatures again - I live 100 feet or so from the lakeshore and the beach ......
Sorry about your luck (cold). It takes one to know one. By the way, my Canadian lawnmower has been cutting scrub in Florida for 7 years!
I just wonder what could eliminate greediness?
I don't fish and none of my friends do either, so I never eat fresh Florida fish. But, I'm glad I read your hub. About the only time I eat fish is in restaurants and that is probably bad enought. This is an excellent hub and I am so glad I read it. More and more fresh foods in the U.S. are being contaminated by insecticides and preservatives. It is a shame and the reason for so many cancers in people in the U.S., in my opinion.
Vladimir . . . You know what eliminates greed. I have read your Hubs. What did the tax collector do when he saw the light? What did John and Peter say to the temple beggar, "Money we have none, but what we have - we give."
suzzetenaples . . . I support your decision not to fish. I wouldn't worry too much about fish from restaurants in Naples. You can probably eat wild caught seafood (not Tilapia) around there every day without having problems. It is the future that I am concerned about. We are on the brink, but it isn't too late. Thanks for the read.
Is that why I lost all my hair? I eat almost everything that I catch. Great hub. I enjoyed reading it, and hope that the powers that be can figure out a way to stop all the pollution everywhere. I am not holding my breath on that though!
PADDYBOY60 . . . I'm not holding my breath either, brother. Every time we get the zoning restricted along the banks of the Lagoon, here comes a new batch of commissioners and it starts all over again. I guess I'll go down swinging, though.
Atta boy WD!
We'll have to get together for an oyster po' boy!
That would be grand,WD!
voted up, useful, awesome, and interesting WD Curry. A great collection of enjoyable stories and discussions my friend. I thought it was intersting that you write for the fishing magazine. Quite the honor and congrats! We do put a lot of bad things in our body for certain. We are lucky to even know half of what we intake. It makes you want to be aware of all ingredients and learn what all those big words mean:) Great work, well written, and well deserved on the votes. See you soon.
I don't know about your culture and lifestyle. But I love fish though I'm often told that formalin, the same substance that is used to keep corpse from rotting, is used to preserve fish.
OH No! I am not far away from you WD Curry 111. That catch looks awesome man, bet you had a great dinner.
To put things in perspective , yes there is a huge problem, not just here through the entire world . There are only few remaining spots on this entire planet where you can find something "Clean" may also be contaminated by the time am finished writing this.
I can say with assurance, thanks to the hard work of men and women like yourself who is concern enough to take a deeper look there will be changes, only maybe for the children.
I do appreciate your efforts and those of those steadfast fighters for that noble cause of saving our planed. Makes me remember Bill Clinton.
That older lady in the supermarket is correct am afraid.
Imagine growing up on that same tiny island in the Caribbean, where it's feels exactly as it feels here.
You could have camped out in the hills, and drink the water directly from the springs and streams.
Now here I am, searching for the best bottled water according to that dear old lady as she said:
“Only ozonized water is safe to drink!’
Can you see where it's all heading?
But I have good news The Most High God doesn't like ugly, and he's not asleep.
Thanks for stopping by I'll keep reading your pieces because I love nature. But in looking at your catch of the day , I am jealous. Have a great day !
Blessings ...
Shy9106. Thanks for coming by. I love your style. Thanks for reminding me that the Most High God does not like ugly. He is not asleep. I will trust his plan is good. I will trust for another fish tomorrow.
thelyric writer, I like writing for the magazine, but it isn't full time. As you well know, unless you have successful books or steady gigs from top magazines, you have to be diversified and flexible. I make most of my living through my art. I am giving this a try, and so far so good. I'll be by to see you as well.
Vinaya Ghimire, You might find our culture too materialistic. You are right about preservatives on fish, especially from places with little supervision. Wild caught Florida seafood has none. I know you have beautiful rivers and lakes. If I were you, I would catch my own or buy fresh from my local market.
VERY informative, super interesting, and excellent writing which conjures affirmative action to be taken!!! Thank you so much for this hub!!!! Now , what are we going to do about it??
That is the best question. People come to Florida, because they have an image in their mind. If they stay, they should love the natural beauty and respect the wildlife. So far most are citizens of Pre-fabalon who want to replace the natural with the synthetic.
First, we must be willing to cut back on things that impact the environment (personal sacrifice of convenience). Then, we need to convince others to do the same. Meanwhile, we do the hard, grinding work that it takes to pass laws to prevent more abuse and restore what we can. We have done this successfully with a state wide ban on gill nets. That will be another hub.
Very interesting article... it nearly put me off fish but we need to know about these things.
Thanks for raising awareness.
Awareness is good and fixing the problem is even better. Thanks
Hi, People usually don’t look for the source of their food , we just cook and eat but you are so right we have to be me more aware... no one would love to have side effects on the long run.. really interesting and thx for sharing
sam-eg . . . You are right. I do the same myself. Cancer is caused (not exclusively) by contaminates, chemicals and toxins in our food and environment.
Not easy facts to take in but ,agreed, very necessary information.
No, not easy. I don't even like to think about it.
'shoot' you found the tank-less bearded clam mermaid Ive been look for, without the goggles on the first one looks kinda ruff, she'll polish up though
I know her number. Let me hook you up!
Hi William, you have a very interesting style of writing articles and your contribution to let people know more about were you live is amazing, it's so bad how modern life is not only affecting us but also affecting everything around us we should take care to the nature and try to make the world better place so we can live in it. I liked the way how you discussed this issue by relating it to a very simple question ' do you eat fish?' thanks for sharing such an informative hub and voted up.
It is the same all over icciev, you have some beautiful natural resources in your home as well. We can take the initiative to preserve our natural heritage, so visitors and our children will be able to enjoy our unique environments. We can also prosper. We simply need to be reasonable and not throw wisdom to the wind. Thankyou for stopping by. It is a pleasure to see you building your career.
I just love fish..specially salmon.
I love fish too. Wid caught salmon is way good for you. As far as anything else, you know well . . . eat what you have and trust that it is sanctified to the nourishment of our bodies. We should use common sense if we have a choice.
u've inspired me to go fishing. I haven't been in years!
The fishing is great around there from what I hear. You can still eat the fish.
ya, it's good around here... it's also cold and wet
I guess you can wait until spring. Although . . . once you commit and start the compulsive activity, you will find that your primeval plasma will start flowing and transcend the weather conditions.
When we get New England "Noreasters" that are so strong and vicious that they come blasting through here, it is time to head to Sebastian Inlet for huge northern seatrout and door mat flounder. We wear wetsuit gloves with the finger tips cut off so we can tie knots.
I know one day coming up here soon we have a free fishing day (meaning you don't need a license). Maybe Ill go catch a nice trout and stuff it with onions lemon and bacon
Are you are talking steelhead? I agree! Not that freshwater trout aren't tasty. Get a license . . . you slacker. The funds go to help the fish (sort of). Get a fish basket and do them on the grill with that recipe, brother PDX. Don't forget the garlic and a touch of tarragon. If you aren't Baptist, mix some white wine with melted butter or olive oil to slather it with.
I have the same concerns here in S. America. As if it isn't bad enough to live near a copper mine, the oceans are overfished and the fish meal plants along the coast pollute the ocean on a regular basis. Still, we love fish and eat ceviche at least weekly. Drinking distilled water is our only consolation...at least something we put in our bodies is pure, but even distilled water has its pros and cons.
What are you going to do? It is almost the same everywhere. Once someone starts an enterprise, it is hard to stop them. Whether it is a copper mine, a fishing industry or a chain of fast food restaurants, the stockholders need their dividends. Ceviche sounds good. I bet they have some fish that is especially right for the recipe around there! We like it with conk and Florida lobster.
Yes, we have some delicious fish but conk and Florida lobster would be hard to beat! We usually use Chilean sea bass or flounder in this part of the coast. Like I said, the ocean has been overfished. Up in the north near Ecuador there are lots more options.
Chilean Sea Bass would be nice in civiche. It is really Patagonian Tooth Fish. They had to give it a new name for the North American market. The fishermen will just go until they catch the last one, and then start a painting business.
Yes, the overfishing is so sad. Now the fish are smaller than they used to catch. I didn't know the real name! Thanks.
The locals need to ban together to change the law. We got gill nets outlawed in Florida, and it was a big help.
I'm surprised the locals haven't thought of that already. They've certainly given the mine a run for the money.
People who do not live on the coast don't usually think about such things.
It's true. The locals seem most worried about the water situation. The city strictly limits water. In the summer there is no water after 10 a.m. Only those with cisterns have water all day. It's a little better in the winter. Sometimes we have water until 5 p.m. This is a problem all along the coast, but the mine intensifies the situation.
Sounds like it is time to make a cistern and get a water purification system
Yes, we have a cistern and filter. We distill the filtered water and still extract a lot of impurities...minerals and who knows what else.
Hey WD
I've done some research and written some hubs about commercial fish in the US and it's scary. There is very little seafood here that is reliably safe. About the only thing we can do is catch our own from an unpolluted source (if you can find one). There are so many potential toxins in our diet I wonder what is safe to eat.
chefsref - I have seen your hubs. When I have time, I really want to study more of them out. The one on unusual veggies was top notch. I tried the purslane, and it was a bit like a bean. It is good. I think I'll put a link at the end of this article to one of the fish hubs.
What are you going to do? Hopefully we will survive anyway.
WD, heck yes we eat the fish! I grew up on the bank of the Gila river here in Arizona, south of the Haden copper smelter on 177. Down my way the muddy murky water we swam in ingested on hot days while swimming, not a fish to be found, dead or alive. A trip up river past the mine and a mile, catfish, carp, blue gill etc. Seems to me fish are smart enough to turn back or we would have been dodging dead floaters, I don't recall ever seeing the first one as a kid, go figure? Voted up!
Ever read Patrick F. McManus? He used to grace the back page of "Field and Stream" with his short stories and has authored a plethora of dime novels on fishing hunting and the like, funny man. If not dust off your library card,
Blessings,
dust
50 Cal - I recall the name. I studied under Fred Sweeney at Ringling School of Art. He did all of the Field and Stream Covers for years. I hated his class. He was a stickler for realism and I wanted to be a cartoonist. One day, when he had been focusing on textures, like rocks and tree trunks. I asked, "How do you paint your underwater scenes? What is the secret?
He said, "It is no secret. First, you need to start with a good ground . . . "
Thanks for the the reminder. I will dust off my library card.
McManus, has a good sense of realism but the funny side the way a child thinks maybe the book titles will tip you off "They Shoot Canoes, Don't They" I have a collection and he has a character "Rancid Crabtree" I almost used here for my call sign. I need to re read a few in the hammock under the old Mesquite tree while chewing the sweet bark of a younger tree....
I get your drift 50 Cal. yhink I remember the articles. If I'm not mistaken one of them was about visiting his poor friend and how they carried his buddy's uncle back from fishing. He had a snapping turtle on his boot that ended up as stew.
I don't fish and never have, but I sure like to eat them with the exception of shrimp those little tykes don't like me, Joyce.
writer 20 - It is so good to see you. I'll eat your share of the shrimp, and you can have the snapper.
Emile R Level 1 Commenter 7 months ago
Interesting article. Your concerns mirror those of mine, even though I don't live in Florida. We do a lot of fishing and I'm careful what we keep, trying to determine where the runoff is coming from. Sad thing is you are right; as polluted as some places might be, it's probably as safe as what's in the store.