Today's Feature
Health
Advisory On Fish Safety.
The Missouri Department of
Health is concerned that people eat a healthy
diet. Fish are a good source of high quality
protein that will contribute to a healthy diet if
eaten regularly. Fish are low in cholesterol and
some fish have fats that may be beneficial in
reducing heart disease; therefore, we want to be
sure that fish caught and eaten from Missouri
waters are safe for consumption by anyone.
In order to accomplish this
goal, the Missouri Department of Conservation has
done extensive annual sampling and analysis of
fish throughout Missouri since 1985. The Missouri
Department of Natural Resources also conducts
fish sampling in cooperation with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. The results of
that sampling are reviewed by the Department of
Health to determine if eating Missouri fish poses
a health risk to the public.
This year we are making two
important changes in our advisory. We are
removing the advice that recommended people eat
no more than one meal a week of Catfish, Carp,
Buffalo, Drum, Suckers and Paddlefish from areas
outside the Ozark region of the state because
levels of the contaminants in these fish have
gone down in the past few years. Except for a few
specific named locations and any areas where
warning signs are posted, these fish are again
safe to eat in any amounts throughout Missouri.
We believe the reason this contamination has gone
down is due to the removal of the termite
pesticide chlordane from the market by the
Environmental Protection Agency in 1988.
Second, the Missouri Department
of Health has been concerned about Mercury
contamination in fish for a number of years and
has been carefully monitoring the national debate
and international health studies related to this
issue. These studies indicate that fish with
Mercury in them at levels similar to those found
in Missouri Largemouth Bass greater than twelve
(12) inches in length can cause children’s
nervous system development to be slowed down and
possibly permanently affected. Results of these
studies, and new risk estimates by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency based on these
studies, have convinced us that Mercury levels in
some Missouri fish pose a health threat to our
children. Therefore, the Missouri Department of
Health is advising women who are pregnant, who
may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and
children twelve (12) years of age and younger not
to eat any Largemouth Bass over twelve (12)
inches in length from anywhere in Missouri.
Sampling and analysis of
Largemouth Bass by the Missouri Department of
Conservation indicate that Mercury is widespread,
and present in fish in streams, rivers, ponds and
lakes throughout Missouri. The amount of Mercury
in fish seems to be mostly related to their size
and the type of food they eat. For example, large
fish that eat other fish have higher
concentrations of Mercury in them than smaller
fish or fish that eat things that live on the
bottom. That is why our advisory is for the whole
state. The Missouri Department of Conservation is
committed to the continued collection and
analysis of predator fish such as bass, walleye,
catfish, crappie and other selected species.
These efforts will provide the Department of
Health with the contaminant information necessary
to issue additional advisories if the need
arises.
The reason that Mercury seems
to be distributed throughout the state is because
of the way it got here. Mercury is a naturally
occurring element that has been used by man in
many ways for thousands of years. It is found in
thermometers, electrical switches and batteries,
and is used in many mining and manufacturing
processes as well as some cultural and religious
practices. Over time some of this Mercury was
released or improperly discarded.
Today we are still releasing
Mercury when we burn municipal trash, when we
burn coal to produce electricity or to heat or
power buildings and factories. Once this Mercury
is released to the atmosphere it can travel great
distances before it settles back to earth and
enters our streams, rivers, ponds or lakes. From
there it is absorbed by microscopic plants and
animals, which are eaten by small animals and
fish that are in turn eaten by bigger and bigger
fish. This causes Mercury to become the most
concentrated in the largest predator fish and in
much of Missouri that is the Largemouth Bass.
The Missouri Department of
Health is continuing its advisory for Sunfish,
Carp, Redhorse, and other Suckers found in the
Big River in St. Francois and Jefferson Counties,
the Flat River in St. Francois County from
Highway "B", six miles downstream to
where it enters the Big River, and Sunfish from
Big Creek near the town of Glover in Iron County,
Missouri. These fish have been found to contain
Lead at levels of significant health concern and
should not be eaten. Lead-mine waste piles in the
area have contaminated the rivers with Lead at
levels of health concern.
Since 1980, the Department of
Health has recommended people not eat Carp,
Redhorse, or Suckers from the Big River
downstream from Desloge to the mouth of the river
where it enters the Meramec River. For a few
years in the late 1980’s, Catfish were also
found to be contaminated with Lead at levels of
health concern.
Sampling since 1992, however,
indicates that Catfish no longer pose a health
risk. Sunfish were captured and analyzed for the
first time in 1993 and were also found to be
contaminated.
The Missouri Department of
Conservation is continuing to sample fish from
these waters and that sampling indicates that
Sunfish, Carp, Redhorse, and other Suckers in the
Big River and Flat River are still contaminated
with Lead at levels of health concern. The
Sunfish in Big Creek near Glover are believed to
have become contaminated by substances released
from a nearby Lead smelter.
Trimming and
Cooking Your Fish To Reduce
Fat and Chemical Contaminants.
1. Fillet your
fish, or if cooking with the bones in, remove all
internal organs.
2. Trim away fatty portions of
the fish such as the dorsal, lateral, and belly
area.
3. Remove the skin from your
fish.
4. Do not eat the eggs. They
are very high in fat.
5. Bake, grill, or broil your
fish on a rack and let the fat drip away. Do not
use the juices.
Avoid pan frying in butter or
animal fat, or making soups or chowders. These
methods retain fat-laden juices.
If you deep-fry your fish, do
not reuse the oil. Contaminants will become
concentrated in that oil.
6. Trimming fat or special
cooking methods will not reduce the levels of
metals, such as Lead or Mercury, from fish.
artCamp Is
Almost Here!
by Robin Putnam, artCentral
Well........as of tomorrow the
show now in the gallery will offically be over.
We hope you made it out here to see all the
fabulous pieces created by our very talented
members !! It has been an exciting exhibit in
that there were sooo many different types of art
AND because we sold FIVE pieces !! Yay !!
Also exciting is artCamp !
We are in the final days before
the whole thing gets under way so if you have
kids or grandkids or nieces and nephews
you’d better get yourself down here pronto
and sign them up !!
So far we have four classes
that are already filled !!
However....we may be inclined
to extend a class enrollment a hair just to make
sure no one gets left out of the fun !! Our
classes on African masks, Egyptian, clay and
cartooning are the ones filled.
We still have room in
create-a-book, watercolor, drawing, sculpture,
carica-tures, Austrailian, painting and
printmaking.
Honestly, the kids have a blast
in all of the classes no matter what subject is
being taught !!
Mudstock 2001 was held on June
30th and we had one of our members out there with
tons of clay for the kids to play with ! We heard
everyone had a great time slipping and sliding in
the mud and then being creative with the clay !!
Tom Jones volunteered to man
the booth and for those who saved their clay
masterpieces he will be firing them real soon.
The kiln is loaded and ready to go. If you
brought your piece in he will have them ready for
you to pick up around the 20th of July !
We thank Tom for being out
there and promoting artCentral, mud and clay !!
Some of our members have
started working on an interactive art festival to
be held on our grounds sometime next summer!! We
are very excited about what could happen !!
Talk so far has included music,
out door art show, artist demos and lots of
oppor-tunities for the public to try their hand
at such things as stone carving, throwing pots on
a wheel and numerous other art forms!!
We will keep you posted as
progress is made with these plans. If you think
you might like to volunteer for this project just
call !!
More watercolor.........next
week.
358-4404. 1110 E 13th
www.ozarkartistscolony.com
Tues. - Sat 9am - 3pm.
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