N. Gulf of Mex. fish have toxins causing illness in humans

[donsu]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080205/ap_on_he_me/fish_poisoning;_ylt=AuFQeH82qa3tvToqYY7Hl0OKOrgF


Toxin from fish causes illness in humans


Several outbreaks of ciguatera fish poisoning have been confirmed in consumers who ate fish harvested in the northern Gulf of Mexico, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.

The FDA said that fish such as grouper, snapper, amberjack and barracuda represent the most significant threat to consumers. They feed on fish that have eaten toxic marine algae. The toxin is stable in the tissue of living fish and does them no harm. But larger carnivores have higher concentrations of the toxin in their tissues. As a result, the greatest risk of poisoning for humans comes from the largest fish.

-snip-

Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include nausea, vomiting, vertigo and joint pain. In the most serious cases, neurological problems can last for months or even years. Several outbreaks of the illness were confirmed in Washington, D.C., and St. Louis, the FDA said. Overall, there have been at least 28 reported cases across the country, with the first case being reported in late November.

The fish linked to the illnesses were harvested near the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, an area of 56 square miles in the northwestern Gulf. The FDA recommends that processors not purchase fish harvested near the sanctuary.

-snip-

The FDA warned processors to reassess their hazard control plans as necessary, and that failure to take proper precautions may cause products to be considered adulterated by the agency.
-snip-
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another food source gone

[kestrel91316]

1. You reap what you sow. We have been treating the oceans like our own

personal sewers for too long.

Don't imagine this has ANYTHING AT ALL to do with all the "dead zones"......naw...........I'm sure no one has a CLUE what leads to the overgrowth of toxin-producing algae.........

Oh, and: "No one could have forseen this". Right?

[alarimer]

5. Ciguatera is NATURALLY occurring

Found in algae that grows on coral reefs. Grouper and snapper eat things that have eaten this algae, thus magnifying the amount of toxin in their tissues. Tuna, mackerel, etc are even higher on the food chain, thus giving their flesh even more of the toxin.

This has been occurring as long as people have been fishing around reefs. The solution is to avoid eating fish caught from areas where ciguatera is known to occur.

[kestrel91316]

9. The question is, WHY are we having so much more trouble with

ciguatera toxin these days? And other algal toxins?

http://www.saveourseas.org/PDF/Ciguatera%20Poisoning.pdf
"......Humans have not caused this poison to originate through pollution or other anthropogenic impacts; however, pollution and coral reef damage will likely promote the growth of G. toxicus populations. Unhealthy coral reefs have much more macro algae and dead coral heads, the prime habitat for G. toxicus......."

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/ENVIRONMENT/community/aquatic/pdfs/Ciguatera_poster_narrative.pdf
".......Marine toxins are produced by microscopic, algae-like organisms that form the base of the ocean’s food chain. Some marine toxins are extremely potent and can cause human illness or even death. While historically fish poisoning from marine toxins was common only in fishing communities, the growth of the global market for seafood has meant that almost every country now reports cases of these illnesses. Marine toxin poisonings are often under-reported to public health officials. Much remains, unknown about why marine algae produce toxins. It has been suggested that human impacts on coastal ecosystems (such as fertilizer runoff and pollution) help the growth of toxin-producing species......"

http://www.fao.org/fishery/topic/14759
"......Several types of natural toxins are found in the ocean. These include "red tides" which get their name from the toxic dinoflagellates that become so abundant that they give a red color to the sea. Sometimes they do not need to be so concentrated to discolor the sea before they cause problems. Consumers of clams, mussels and oysters are the occasional victims of this toxin. Ciguatera refers to a toxin that is produced in algae and then is concentrated by algal grazers. As predators concentrate the toxin further at each step in the food chain, it can get to dangerous levels. Ciguatera is usually associated with warm waters, and larger fish such as groupers and barracuda. These types of toxins can reach lethal doses or cause other temporary or permanent damage, when sufficiently concentrated. Marine mammals and birds are often affected in the same manner as humans. These toxins cannot be reduced through cooking. Resource managers and local fishers usually are able to avoid the harvesting of seafood containing these toxins. Global warming could lead to these toxins becoming more widely distributed and may cause changes in where they occur to the extent that local knowledge will not be sufficient to protect against their harvest......."

I could go on, but I think most people will get my point. The toxin is natural. The increase in levels of the problematic algae is almost certainly due to human impacts.

[shraby]

2. All that stuff that went into the Gulf after Katrina

probably has a lot to do with it too.

[donsu]

3. true

nt

[alarimer]

6. No it does not.

It is naturally occurring. There was a recent press release from NOAA about this. They have been monitoring this reef for some time.

Ciguatera is extremely common in the Caribbean.

[FreepFryer]

8. Agreed. (n/t)

[kestrel91316]

11. Yes it does. See my post above.

The link between pollution, warming waters, coral damage, and ciguatera is very strong.

I have cited reliable souces. Thousands more are on the net for those who wish to point and click.

You are proposing a Bush-style solution: just ADAPT.
I posit that acknowledging our role in the problem and then MITIGATING the damage is the more appropriate response.

[kestrel91316]

10. Pollution and increased temps are harming the coral. When this happens,

the algae that produces the toxin blooms.

Global warming.
Pollution-induced dead zones.
Sewage spills.

WE have done this.

[gatorboy]

4. I just printed out a safe fish list when you posted this.

If anyone else is interested:

http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/115/nofish

[FreepFryer]

7. Not to detract from the environmental damage- but ciguatera is naturally-occurring condition as well

There are a number of species (for example, some of those mentioned in this article) that spear-divers and fishermen have long avoided for this very reason.

I imagine there's probably a possibility of some connection, but ciguatera occurs in nature independently of man's degradation of the environment.

[KamaAina]

12. Ciguatera is commonly found in the tropics

such as the Caribbean, and yes, the central Pacific. What's news here is that it's apparently gotten up into the Gulf.

A Hawai'i company has even developed a kit that can be used to test fish for it:

http://cigua.oceanit.com/index.php?option=content&task=section&id=10&Itemid=42

ToxiTec, Inc. located in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, is the developer and manufacturer of Cigua-Check® Fish Poison Test Kit, the world’s only rapid detection test kit for ciguatera toxin found in tropical reef fish and their predators. As a leader in naturally occurring marine toxin detection methods, ToxiTec currently markets is detection products to government agencies, fishing industries, hospitality industries, and end consumers worldwide. With users on all continents, Cigua-Check® truly addresses the global threat created by unmonitored and unchecked ciguatera toxin outbreaks.