Lionfish and ciguatera

[soamelt]

Don't know if this has been posted before -

Eat lionfish? Sure, but beware of the nasty toxins - Vitals

 

[Chugwhump]

BAH, I say!!!

BAH!!!

From the article......
"So far, none of the ciguatera cases confirmed in the U.S. has implicated lionfish, which makes some question the FDA’s caution."

Again, from the article....
the FDA, isn’t convinced.

“Particularly in areas where we know ciguatoxin is present, people should not be eating lionfish," she said.


Here is where I am on this serious topic, and certainly I am not an expert on anything other than killing them.....but here goes...


I am personally aware of exactly ONE occurance of ciguatera from a Florida Kingfish since I started paying attention in 1977
(that was the year I learned of ciguatera, and so perhaps I live in a small world).

It is my understanding the this toxin is far more prevalent in the Virgin Islands, Grenada, and some other perpetually warm water places.

I, my family, and my friends, (other than Soamelt who apparently is now afaraid of the ocean) have eaten hundreds of these tasty little Bastages in the past two years, since the invasion began in earnest.

Nobody I am aware of has gotten sick to this point.
I am certainly willing to listen if someone has a personal story to report, but for me, the Lion Fish that are harvested in SE Florida are as safe as any other fish in the sea.

also from the article....
"Just like they shouldn’t be eating grouper or other reef predators.”

THIS IS EXCELLENT ADVICE!!!
STOP EATING GROUPER, SNAPPER, AND HOGFISH OR YOU WILL ALL DIE A SLOW AGONIZING DEATH!!!

Chug
Simply concerned with your health and well being......




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[sotgecho]

Just like eating any raw fish; it is all in how you handle the product. You are more susceptible to getting yourself sick through a food born illness via improper food handling and storage techniques and improper hand washing then getting poisoned. This is similar to the FDA testing for mercury in tuna; in order to get mercury poisoning from tuna; one would have to eat huge amounts in one sitting which is highly unlikely.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Just like eating any raw fish; it is all in how you handle the product. You are more susceptible to getting yourself sick through a food born illness via improper food handling and storage techniques and improper hand washing then getting poisoned. This is similar to the FDA testing for mercury in tuna; in order to get mercury poisoning from tuna; one would have to eat huge amounts in one sitting which is highly unlikely.

what are you talking about? It has nothing to do with handling, or cooking?

 

[sotgecho]

I am talking about how people are at more risk to get themselves sick by not handling raw fish properly because many peoples first experiences eating lion fish eat it raw; then getting sick from toxins.

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Ciguatera toxin is not destroyed by cooking. Raw or cooked it doesn't matter. IF it's present, in SUFFICIENT quantities it will hurt you.

I have seen sporadic reports of ciguatera in some areas of the gulf. They tend to be isolated and scattered. I think it would be interesting to know where the lion fish came from that tested positive.

 

[Hank49]

If the lionfish are becoming toxic in any area, don't eat any other reef predators there either. I would seriously doubt that ONLY lionfish are building up the toxin. But who knows?

 

[DebbyDiver]

It's been reported down here that some lionfish are testing positive for ciguatera. Some people eat them, but the eating is far less prevalent than it is in Florida. People love to kill kill kill them, though!!!

 

[Bratface]

[h=1] How do people get ciquatera fish poisoning?
Microscopic sea plants called dinoflagellates produce ciguatoxins. These toxinsbecome progressively concentrated as they move up the food chain from smallherbivorous fish to the larger fish that eat them, and reach particularly highconcentrations in large predatory tropical reef fish. Implicated fish typically are largesubtropical and tropical finfish, such as king mackerel; barracuda; black and yellowfingrouper; blackfin, cubera, and dog snapper; greater amberjack; hogfish; and horse-eyejack. These fish are typically caught by sport fishermen on reefs in Hawaii, Guam, andother South Pacific islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. The occurrence of toxicfish is sporadic, and not all fish of a given species or from a given locality will be toxic.All humans are believed to be susceptible to ciguatera toxins.

State of California 1 September 2005Department of Health Services

[/h]When we started killing them in the VI, they were sent to the college to test for genotype. It was also discovered that a high number of them carried ciguatera. I hear they are tasty, but I am not willing to take the risk for that kind of illness. So it has nothing to do with how they are caught, cleaned, cooked, etc.

 

[Wookie]

Spoke to some NOAA buddies today. The 200something fish in the sample came from a known ciguatera hotspot in the Virgin Islands. NOAA lionfish guy told the reporter that, but that part didn't make the news. Imagine that. Then it wouldn't have been news.