Dioxin Bream Or Smoking Cigarettes ?

[gtstocka]

So what would you say is worse for your health ?

Eating bream caught from say Rosebay or CG (1kg a month)

OR

Smoking Cigarettes (1 pack over 3 days)

Reason i ask is my olds are weary of eating fish caught from Sydney

Harbour but are heavy smokers !!!!!

Do any smokers refuse to eat fish caught in Sydney Harbour ?

your thoughts please........

Edited April 27, 2007 by gtstocka

[SUBLiME]

umm smoking...

[andrew399]

smoking by miles. I have mentioned this in other posts but not many people realise that it has been known for over 20 years what levels of dioxins existed in our harbour fish and they have always been considered safe to eat, it was only in 2004 or whenever the ban was put in place that these levels were considered safe and that was due to the fact that world standards for safe dioxins were lowered thus putting our fish in the danger zone. Sure maybe extra research was carried out and found that dioxins are more harmful then originally thought but im willing to bet it was more of a case of covering backsides to prevent law suits etc....

[zip2155]

damn!!! now i gotta quit smoking and eat more harbour fish.

[twoducks]

So what would you say is worse for your health ?

Eating bream caught from say Rosebay or CG (1kg a month)

OR

Smoking Cigarettes (1 pack over 3 days)

Reason i ask is my olds are weary of eating fish caught from Sydney

Harbour but are heavy smokers !!!!!

Do any smokers refuse to eat fish caught in Sydney Harbour ?

your thoughts please........

Easy smoking, is worse and yes this is coming from a smoker!

Its very simple really, our lungs are designed to take in air not smoke.

Why am i still smoking...well thats another story as all us smokers know!

Cheers Twoducks

[mrmoshe]

Smoking my a country mile!! This coming from a 30 year + heavy smoker (gave 'em up 4 years ago now)

and feel a whole lot better for it. Still miss 'em though.

I'd probably be a dead duck now had I not given the gaspers up when I did according to my Doc.

As for the dioxin fish...leave 'em in the drink but at least you can still have fun catching and releasing them with no harm done to you or the fish.

Cheers,

Pete.

[thereddragon]

Here is an article that I came across

The NSW Government has announced that dioxin levels in pelagic species of fish in Sydney Harbour appear to be well below the elevated levels found in bream and prawns.

A small number of preliminary test samples indicate that species of fish like Yellowtail and Trumpeter Whiting have much lower levels of dioxin.

Early results from tests on a range of species in Port Jackson, east of the Bridge, including Yellowtail, Sand Whiting, Kingfish, Luderick and Trumpeter Whiting have levels below the 6 picograms per gram recommended by our expert panel.

For example, all Trumpeter Whiting caught at Rose Bay was below 4.4 pg/g, while all Yellowtail at Balmoral was below 1.97 pg/g.

These are, however, early samples only – about 10% of the current testing program - but the signs are hopeful.

The dioxin problem in the Harbour comes from sediment in areas like Homebush Bay, a legacy of 100 years of industrial pollution by companies like Union Carbide.

As a result, the dioxin levels are high in travelling “bottom feeders” like Bream, prawns and squid.

For comparison, bream caught at Balmoral in the December round of tests averaged 14.7 pg/g, bream caught at Clifton Gardens averaged 25.5 pg/g.

Bream caught further west, at Homebush Bay (which has been closed to commercial fishing since 1989) had an average reading of 95.6.

These readings are well above the panel recommendation of 6 pg/g – and that’s why the Government closed the Harbour to commercial fishing in January.

It is important to note, however, that one of the species of trevally tested at Chowder Bay in the latest round of tests had a dioxin reading of 9.3 pg/g so there is a need for some caution.

This is great news for recreational fishermen, unfortunately, however, it is the “bottom feeders” that make up the vast bulk of the commercial catch so it can make no difference to the ban on commercial fishing in the Harbour.

The highest result in the latest round of tests to be over the acceptable dioxin level was squid – another “bottom-feeder” and another commercial catch.

Commercial fishers have already been offered a $5 million buyout package for their industry – which had an annual value totalling just $217,000 a year.

Fish caught in Sydney Harbour made up less than 2% of the Sydney Fish Market catch before the full ban was put in place on January 24.

If, in future the Harbour is re-opened to commercial fishing these fishermen will get the first option.

The latest results will be analysed by the expert panel – and more test results are expected in the coming weeks.

The Government will review the dietary advice provided to recreational fishers once the final results are in.

The State Government is currently conducting remediation works to clean up the former Union Carbide site at Homebush Bay.

Sydney Harbour was closed to commercial prawn fishing on December 3 and commercial fishing on January 24 after expert tests revealed high levels of dioxin in bream and prawns.

Areas of the Harbour west of the Bridge including Homebush Bay have been closed to commercial fishing for more than a decade.

[gtstocka]

thanks for your opinions fellas.

alot of food for thought........ no pun intended

ill print this out and show 'em dioxin bream aint that bad afterall

and that they should stop smoking before baging out my bream

cheers and tight lines