Eating Mississippi river fish

[Boy walleye]

Do you eat fish from the mississippi in Minnesota?

[wildman]

I personally have a problem with eating any river fish! If you look at what all runs into them i guess i would think twice. You have got all these little drainage ditches around farm land that run into the minnesota which in turn runs into the mississippi and with all the fertilizer that is but on the land along with animal waste i guess i would rather eat a lake fish any day. Thats of course if it doesnt have city run off or rivers running in. I would say from central minn north rivers and lakes dont both me but around alot of farm land it scares me. Lawns are the most over fertilized ground that there is and you would think that eating some of the fish that are in contact with these just might make your eyes glow!

[smiley]

My hubby and I don't EVER eat river fish but my brothers do and they are fine...well, sort of! :)

Lisa

[Backwater Eddy]

Surprising to many is the fact that more lakes may be of a higher fish consumption risk then many rivers.

Check out the fish consumption advisory section at the http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/fca/index.html site. You can find detailed information on consuming fish on any system in MN that may be of concern to you. Good information to have for any system you may fish.

You can also pick up fish cleaning tips that will help you to limit potential contaminate consumption by eliminating tissues that build up the highest levels of contaminants. How you prepare and cook the fish can limit contaminant loads.

Remember the clarity of the water does not automatically indicate the levels of contaminants in the water. Murky or turbid colored water illustrates the presents of suspended silts or minute debris. Crystal clear water can have deadly contaminant loads but look pretty to the eye of the beholder.

Not all that glitters is gold.

Backwater Eddy ~ ~><sUMo> ~ ><>

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[Good point, here's a rebuttal]

Do you eat processed dry cereal?

Do you eat Bologna or Hot Dogs?

How about everyone's favorite near meat, Spam?

How about corned beef?

Just to let you know the USDA has guidlines for how much insect and fecal contamination is allowable in cereal products.

Bologna, Hot Dogs and Spam are made from parts of animals that even the French won't eat.

The chemicals used in the corning process of meat would kill you if you consumed them seperately.

So I ask you, whats a little toxic waste run off in fish gonna do to you????

[WAeyes]

Good point Eddy.

I think it is almost impossible to find a body of water that isn't going to have some harmful residue in it.

I do trim off any discolored meat that is next to the skin. I feel that this holds an undesirable flavor and assume that this is where the contaminants are most located.

Is this true?

[Backwater Eddy]

The fatty tissues on the back, lateral line, and belly accumulate a larger dose of contaminants then the flesh of the fish itself. By trimming away this tissue (that often is slightly darker in color) will help to decrease potential contaminant consumption.

Younger fish with less overall body fat accumulated have less contaminant load potential. Younger fish have also less time to accumulate contaminants and by far much safer for the table.

Broiling fish will further help to reduce residual fatty tissues and subsequently contaminants. They drip off and away from the meat while cooking.

Backwater Eddy ~ ~><sUMo> ~ ><>

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[EYESCHOOL]

Eddy's replies were very accurate and good info.
I get a kick out of some of my buddies! They say; "I'll never eat those toxic fish out of the river, cause they'll kill ya!"
As they are making this foolish statement, they are standing there with a mixed drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other! ;-)

[ANXIOUS]

I DONT EAT THOSE FISH SIMPLY BECAUSE I AM VERY FINICKY ABOUT HOW MY FISH TASTE!

[EYESCHOOL]

Okay by me! No reason to SHOUT!

[Backwater Eddy]

How the flesh of a fish tastes commonly reflects the forage they eat.

I can understand the taste thing. I am not too crazy about walleye that eat tons of fresh water shrimp for example. They get a yellow hue to the meat and the walleye are real butterballs.

Me I am found of 17" & 18" river walleye that work out every day, lean mean pan-fryn’ machines.

Yummm!

;)

Backwater Eddy ~ ~><sUMo> ~ ><>

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[Troutaholic]

Looks as though our little "dangerous to eat" ads are paying off!!!(lol)

Seriously, the fish below Lake Pepin are very safe to eat. Lake Pepin acts as a filter for many of the contaminants.

I have had fish from many different parts of the world, and I have yet to have an issue with any fish - OK, except for a too big of a carp that we didn't corn long enough.

The best fish I have had was lake trout taken out of Canadian waters, followed by 'gills and 'eyes out the Mississippi. Cats and northerns are right on their heels!!!

Now saying that, I am going to have to call the DNR to advertise those "dangerous to eat" public warnings to keep ya'll from experiencing the best eating around!!!

[john mannerino]

I`ve been eating it for years,aaaaaaand I dont have a problem.LOL just kidding , there is nothing wrong at all.If you listened to everything the gov said ,you would be eating tree bark and drinkin frenchie water.Enjoy the fish from the Miss river,now the IL river is another story!!! John

[RickK]

As someone who worked for a short time for the USDA I can tell you that you are right on about contaminants allowed in many foods. I don't eat ANY processesed meats because of it,..not a lot of meat in general. I don't remember the exact amts of rodent hair, feces, and mercury allowed in cereal. ( mercury is not allowed but if a plant manager gets in a boxcar of mercury treated grain ,...not many grains of which will kill you deader than a nit,)......they will mix it in with a 100 other cars as not to take the loss of sending it back. Ought to be a jailable offence!

[BFJ]

Fish below redwing all the time,,,usually keep a few walleye or sauger for supper, If you think about it how many dead eagles do you see on the river, has'nt killed them yet!! :+ BFJ

[JAH]

From a post on fishtheriver.com

Do you eat fish from LOTW? Or the rest of the lakes in MN?

The advice to check out the MN DNR website above is wonderful... and it will surprise you.

For example.....

The guidelines for consumption of river fish in MN I'm about to quote are for adult males - average weight 150 Lbs and can be found here on the MN DNR website:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/fca/rivers.pdf

On the "dirty" Mississippi River, the MNDH (MN Dept. Health) advises: Mississippi River - Pool 4 = 1 meal/week 15" - 20" walleye (PCB contamination)

For the "pristine" St. Croix River, the MNDH advises:
Stillwater to Mississippi River = 1 meal/month 15" - 20" walleye (due to mercury contamination)

And how about a northern MN lake, far removed from the effects of humans?

The guidelines for consumption of lake fish in MN I'm about to quote are for adult males - average weight 150 Lbs and can be found here on the MN DNR website:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/fca/fca.pdf

Lake of the Woods = 1 meal/month 15" - 20" walleye (mercury contamination)

The notion that the Mississippi River fish are too contaminated to consume is based purely on mis-information and bias.

[Suzuki]

Oh no. Not my St. Croix!! That's very disheartening news.

[Neal/CO]

Eddie, I have a 2nd cousin who owns a ranch in San Angelo Texas. My dad says that the wild Turkeys and pigs they shoot there taste spicey like peppers? Which just so happens to be what they grow there!

[szopster]

Contaminants are everywhere in our lakes and rivers. Heck, our well water and rainwater even have contaminants. They are also in all of our agricultural products, grown here and imported. Am I happy about it, no. They are unavoidable.

Yes, I do eat fish out of the Mississippi and the Illinois. Once a week shouldn't hurt anyone. Both of these rivers have a good scouring action that help to send sediments down to our brethren in Louisiana. There are plenty of old Cajun river rats down there that eat river fish nearly every day. Where do you think the people in St. Louis and all the other river towns get drinking water from any way?

Unless someone proves to me otherwise, our river fish are no more contaminated than the pesticide laden vegetables, grains, meats and dairy products we eat everyday. The random sampling that we get out of our river fish is more accurate than the stuff coming from the thousands of suppliers in our grocery stores.