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09/01/2008: "MERCURY IN SEAFOOD - Marine food story continues"
The Contaminated Fish story which began last Monday in much of the mainstream media, with the warnings given to eating several species of fish that are loaded with excessive mercury and are therefore too dangerous for children. (Shark, sword fish, marlin, catfish, etc).
A point worth making in reply is catfish, is mostly sold under other names, Pacific Dory, Basa being two of these.
Pacific Dory and Basa is Vietnamese freshwater catfish from the Mekong Delta.
A story last year on the SBS Thalassa Sunday night programme showed the impressive production from buying live then filleting, fast freezing of the catfish.
Farmed in cages under 'fish farm' houses built over the water where the people live. They care for and feed the fish with a porridge-like substance mixed in large mechanical mixing tanks.
Many of these new fish farmers are former rice farmers now living a better lifestyle, thanks to the catfish being exported internationally.
It tastes OK. White fillets too, no bones. This doesn't help if they are over-loaded with a heavy metal known to send people mad and slowly do worse things for pregnant ladies and little kids.
The story indicated that tuna was OK by not mentioning it. I'd be a bit doubtful it it was a large tuna. Every large fish is going to be a mercury risk. Other risks are ciguaterra poisoning in tropical species.
The story emphasized small fish only for small kids. The tip applies to adults as well in my opinion.
In reality, a campaign to release big fish and take only small fish would be a good start in these dire times of fish shortages. It's unlikely to happen without a lot of dedicated effort by some one.
Shark is processed into carb sticks, fish balls and other 'fish' products.
The larger or adult fish species produce more eggs and therefore should be left alone.
Yet for decades fisheries inspectors have been after people catching undersized fish - the system ignores damage the prawn trawling does with their by-catch (of tiny fish) which are thrown back.
Double standards.
Footnote. Fathom issue #3 was months ahead of Australian newspapers by announcing high levels of mercury were contained in edible fish and shellfish.
