Bream And Dioxins

[PPSGT]

I have caught some big bream over the last week - and although they a one

of my favourite fish to eat, I grew up fishing for them in the Port River in Adelaide

which was so heavily polluted with toxins from industrial waste, that bream and mullet

caught anywhere near their were always released.

They were full of heavy metals - They did a test on one of the famous port river dolphins

(one of the few areas inthe world were dolphins live and breed in a working port) It had

400 times the recommended level of mecury considered safe for human consumption.

Dioxin are in the news, and people are now aware it is a health issue, but I guarantee if they tested

the bream for other toxins especially mercury the results would also be bad...

There a lots of bream around now they arent being netted, and I have seen a lot of people cleaning

good catches of bream at the ramp. In Adelaide we'd call them "neighbours fish" - ( the ones you give away to family and friends you dont like)

All fish have some levels of toxin, and also have naturally occuring mecury I had two friends

who said the bream woudl be ok to eat from Middle harbour... So i sent them this

The green line is maxium level considered safe... Looks like bream will be off the menu

for some time to come

I'd be interested in who is still eating bream from anywhere in the harbour?

I know its hard to throw back good sized fish, but bream because of the amount of filter

feeding shellfish they eat are about the worst fish to eat in polluted water.

I pull some oysters off a mooring for bait in middle harbour, near a slip way where they

remove anti-fouling. They were bright fluro green inside YUM!!!! I bet they'd be safe to eat....

Jason

Edited March 16, 2007 by PPSGT

[DaveD]

Thats some really scary results there man. I knew it was bad but I didn't realise it was THAT bad. Where abouts did you get the info? Just wondering if you can dig up info bout other popular fish caught such as flathead

[zrealist]

from memory flathead are not as bad as bream, but tailor is right up there with bream.

[DaveD]

Im assuming this would include waterways such as Port Hacking?

So much for planning to keep a keeper bream if I hook one up tomorrow

[Penguin]

The odd Bream eaten every now and then wont kill u.

penguin

[PPSGT]

Heres the full article here:

http://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/consumer/c-dioxins.htm#4

Its worth reading all the articles - it never hurts to be to informed.

Jason

[DaveD]

Appreciate it. Nice topic and thanks.

[Mondo Rock]

Im assuming this would include waterways such as Port Hacking?

You're assuming incorrectly. The Hacking is a completely separate waterway to Sydney Harbour and is not polluted by Dioxins (well, not as far as I know anyway).

Similarly, Pittwater, the Hawkesbury and Brisbane Waters are clean.

[zrealist]

Im assuming this would include waterways such as Port Hacking?

So much for planning to keep a keeper bream if I hook one up tomorrow

Not all is lost, you can always live bait the bream since kingys are into them.

[robthefisherman]

As far as I know fish from Hacking are fine, it's a very clean waterway and I've eaten plenty of fish from the Port and so far a second head hasn't sprouted.

I'm not a big bream fan anyway much prefer a good feed of beer battered flatty tails,homemade chips.lemon wedges and an ice cold