Stop Eating Freshwater Fish?

[Topside2]

There's a recent article posted on the Field and Stream Magazine website that suggests that practically every fish caught in freshwater in this country is contaminated with disturbing levels of PFASs  - forever chemicals.  Just do an internet search for "Does a New Study Mean You Should Stop Eating Freshwater Fish Forever?" to find the article.  The author is skeptical for now.  It's worth a read.  It makes one wonder about saltwater fish too...and just about everything else we eat.

 

 

[sbcbmx112]

Personally I'd be more worried about PFAS in the water I drink.  If regularly ate large amounts of freshwater fish it might give me pause but I usually only have a handful of such meals a year.

[7 Rivers]

I saw this on the local news. t's been going on for a long time. Where I grew up in the Old Town area, there was always signs up on the Penobscot River, pregnant women should never eat more than 8 ozs of fish from the river.  A lot of rivers that had mills on them, seem to have this problem. That being said, the fish can move around obviously, so no way to manage this. I used to pound brooks in Washington County just to get away from all that. I will never eat a freshwater fish again. I am allergic to shellfish, so I I don't eat anything out of the ocean either..  I have come to the conclusion years ago, I will never eat  another fish again. Catch and release only and I am good with that. I don't feel I need to kill a fish when I have enjoyed catching them, and putting them back. Some heroes feel they have to kill everything and post pictures on social media.  I enjoy the catch, not the kill. Years ago, they used to send the first salmon caught, on the Penobscot,  every year at a certain salmon club,to the president of the United States. That poor fish had more media coverage than you could imagine, only to be tossed, sad.

[Skunkoff]

I'm C&R for the most part.  Once in a great while I'll keep a couple crappies outnof "clean" water habitat.  Anything else I keep, I know it won't make it.  As long as it's legal and out of "clean" water.  I haven't kept a striper in over 20 years. 

[MainelySmallies]

Heard about this recently too. Disturbing stuff. Only freshwater fish I ever kept were LMB or SMB bleeding from the gills plus stock trout when I was a kid. After hearing this I don’t plan to start anytime soon. 

[7 Rivers]

There are  a lot of pristine waters in  Maine. I used to get water from natural springs when I had a camp in Washington County.  Used to be so nice. Even out there, you had to deal with the chemicals used on the blueberry fields, that made it into local bodies of water. When I was younger, used to climb Mt Katahdin a lot, and drink from the cold brooks flowing down the mountain.  Probably never climb again due to health issues, glad I had fun when I was younger.. 

[Mainiac]

gotta die from sumpthin

[RAW]

Catch and release! I thought Field and Stream was long dead

[Topside2]

F&S publishes 4 digital-only issues a year.  Their website is, however, constantly updated and is a very good source the keep up on outdoor/sportsman issues. It's  pretty good.

 

[punkroktownie]

Yeah. Quite concerning, but I can't say I won't eat any.  I only skimmed the article, but I'm curious what was said about the fish we buy at the markets. 

Also, I tend to bring home 1 striper a year. 

Edited January 29 by punkroktownie
Update

[Highlander1]

Other than Salmon, what are worth cooking? LMB? Cat? I'd rather eat my floor mats.

[MainelySmallies]

18 hours ago, Highlander1 said:

Other than Salmon, what are worth cooking? LMB? Cat? I'd rather eat my floor mats.

Can’t stand catfish. LMB or SMB from clean cold water can be very good. Never kept either for the table on purpose but I have kept them when they’ve been bleeding bad. Pickerel can also be delicious but it’s a pain to deal with. Obviously walleye and crappie are excellent as well. Don’t keep any of the above on purpose but they can all be good if you have a modicum of competence in the kitchen.

 

But yeah, I don’t get the appeal of catfish. Taste like mud.

[CWitek]

From what I understand, the study the article was based on did not sample fish from all over the country, but rather concentrated on those from the Great Lakes area, which could easily have biased the results.

[NHAngler]

Here is a detail to focus on:

"....But due to growing concerns about the health impacts, last year the U.S. EPA recommended that the level of PFOS allowed in drinking water be lowered to 0.02 parts per trillion. The agency is expected to propose national drinking water regulations for certain PFAS soon....."

 

If eating 1 (4-8oz?) fish with 48 parts per trillion is bad, how much water will you drink to get to the same concerning levels? I mean, if the average person drinks 64+ oz of water per day and .02 is acceptable then how much before it's not?

[Topside2]

6 hours ago, MainelySmallies said:

 

...But yeah, I don’t get the appeal of catfish. Taste like mud.

Isn't it usually fried?   I think you could fry an old shoe and it would taste good.