I'm just curious what errors you found, and what basis you have to consider them errors.
If its easier for you, just list them out.
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Chukar chaser,
I just read that article and didn't notice any errors but see how such communications can be interpreted by the average joe as negative toward eating bass rather than what it really says which is they probably are not significantly worse than any store bought stuff.
I know a PhD guy that grew tilapia in virtual waste water that was high in everything including mercury. His fish passed the tests in the tissue that people normally eat. He said the high levels built up in the organs and other areas that are not eaten so the fact that the toxins are there (somewhere) is moot. I would be interested to see the actual values of mercury found in the bass for individual bodies of water and, most importantly, the specific areas of the bass's body so that I could evaluate the information myself rather than read a very broad brush negative report.
Also, these reports are not new for those of us watching places such as the Snake River and associated reservoirs. They have included trout in the past. Nobody cares to say where the mercury (and chrome) is coming from but occasionally I see where somebody speculates that it is either from coal fired power plants or from gold mining in northern Nevada. If it is coal fired power plants then the rest of the world is in big trouble compared to us Idaho folks.....
FR
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[cool] I've been saying for years, killing Bass is BAD for your health.
[#ff0000]EAT MORE TROUT![/#ff0000]
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Here is some reading:
[url "http://www.deq.idaho.gov/water/data_reports/surface_water/monitoring/mercury/arsenic_mercury_fish_tissue_report_0508.pdf"]http://www.deq.idaho.gov/water/data_reports/surface_water/monitoring/mercury/arsenic_mercury_fish_tissue_report_0508.pdf[/url]
[url "http://www.deq.idaho.gov/water/data_reports/surface_water/monitoring/mercury_environment_flyer.pdf"]http://www.deq.idaho.gov/water/data_reports/surface_water/monitoring/mercury_environment_flyer.pdf[/url]
[url "http://www.deq.idaho.gov/water/data_reports/surface_water/monitoring/mercury_study_flyer.pdf"]http://www.deq.idaho.gov/water/data_reports/surface_water/monitoring/mercury_study_flyer.pdf[/url]
Basically, the DEQ and IDFG sampled the meat tissue of fish from around the state for mercury. They evaluated for a bioavailable form of mercury called methymercury. Under anaerobic (low/no oxygen) conditions mercury can change into methlymercury, and that form is readily absorbed by bugs/fish/people.
The source of mercury is from lots of places - people use to use it in mining sluices to collect gold, burning slag waste, coal burning, natural geology. But once its in the environment, its there to stay.
Once its there, it bioaccumulates up the food chain. Notice that the fish eating fish are on the list and not the bug eating perch or plankton eating kokanee. Walleye and smallmouth bass from Salmon Falls Creek reservoir were the highest in the state. The predatory fish from CDA lake were hot too, and that's downstream from the Silver Valley mining district.
That's interesting about the tilapia. I wonder if that wasn't methylmercury in the water.
This information won't stop me from eating bass or any fish, for that matter. But I don't think you can discount the presence of the potential situation. Data does not lie.
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Chukar Chaser,
Thanks, it appears that you have your facts together. Refreshing and informative.
FR
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