No issues with the catch and release sports anglers, but we need to point out the dangers of eating fish caught in urban ponds and lakes to those less educated.
Many ponds in our cities are flood mitigation ponds. Drain water goes in and with it, a rich soup of heavy metals, mainly zinc substrates, but also aluminium and chromium, which fish inadvertently absorb.
I have observed that many anglers like to bag their catches in such places. Eating such fish isn’t going to cause us to die in our sleep the following night, but over a long time, it will lead to health threats like Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, and impotence(!!!).
Anglers should have all the fun they want, but should refrain from consuming such fish caught in such places. In this case, catch and release isn’t for the benefit of the fish community, but the FISHING community.
Also dangerous are e-coli, salmonella and other microbial pests such as tape worm larvae.
Someone ought to be kind enough to advise anglers not to grab a sandwich and bite down after handling a wetline in Kelana Jaya or any other urban ponds.
Hope PeMM, etc, will include such advice during speeches and public events.
Maybe write a letter to somewhere on the matter. I don’t mind my text here being adapted.
Catching and eating haruan from rubish infested drains are common sight in 3rd world countries. sadly, this is also a common sight in M’sia [:(]. Most people are just not aware of the chemicals, bacteria (possibly viruses), heavy metals, septic [xx(], etc. which may be found in contaminated waters. When i was in my schooling days, my friends and i used to fish in those football field size water treatment plants (now run by IWC), for haruan. not suprisingly, my friends brought back all the haruans (big and small) for consumption [xx(].
Yes, I feel 99% of Malaysian still not aware of the significant of pollutants contained in our daily diet of fish. Maybe we shd start learning from the Canadian Ministry of Resources of informing the general public on the contaminant in fishes. Most people think if the fish can survive, it’s safe to consume but that’s not the case.
Thats why i never eat freshwater fish and release all my catch! In Japan,even sea fish is the main source of mercury poisoning cause all the heavy metal is released to the sea and got into the food chain. I hope that has not happen to Malaysia saltwater fish yet.
It’s not just the fish you catch and eat. It is also the fish sold at pasar malams as well as your neighbourhood mix rice stall! Have seen people fishing at oxidation ponds for tilapias and when approached, they said they were selling them at pasar malams.
Another case in point is the presence of an old man at the Kelana Jaya pond drain inlet next to the Commonwealth icon along the LDP.
This guy is there everyday, diligently hooking the black tilapias. No way that this is for personal consumption as he usually hauls up approximtaely 3 to 4 kgs of fish before his departure at around noon!
BTW, the Kelana lakes are heavily polluted with heavy metals, e-coli and various other pollutants.
So my advise is to stay off black tilapias when you’re at any mix rice stalls or pasar malams![;)]
U3-Team Orang Kampong
U4-Team Longkang (1st runner up)
Sild,
Sometimes, you cant really blame them. They only see it as free nutrition; peroid. AS long as your conscience stays clear in you telling about the dangers, you will have to let it rest at that.
Too many times when MBPJ and PeMM organise an alien fish fishing competition that we see people digging into the garbage bins for fish as if they have hit a goldmine! The best we could do was to advise them on the dangers.
BTW, the fishing competitions held by MBPJ is usually at the Kelana Jaya lakes or Taman Jaya lakes; two of the most highly concentrated body of water with heavy metals, e-coli and salmonella.
Remember there was this one year that we were at the Taman Jaya Lake fishing competition and there were lots of huge african keli, Pbs and tilapia that were caught for the competition. These were slated to be destroyed after the end of the competition.
When asked and told of the fishes were to be destroyed, many including some high-ranking officials were not pleased, what with all those protein to being wasted. Many had wanted us to sent the fishes to ophanages, old folks home and other charities. Surely all these already disadvantaged people does not need the extra poison.
Sad that many, even to ranking officials, do not know or simply refuse to acknowledge this fact.
quote:Originally posted by Snook Hunter Thats why i never eat freshwater fish and release all my catch! In Japan,even sea fish is the main source of mercury poisoning cause all the heavy metal is released to the sea and got into the food chain. I hope that has not happen to Malaysia saltwater fish yet.
A thought for those who loves Sharks Fin Soup. It has been found that sharks these days contain a high level of mercury due to all the heavy metal and pollution that eventually finds its way to the sea.
Question: How did it get into the shark’s system?
Probable answer: Through ingestion of the contaminated fish in the waters. Just as ciguatera moves from corals to fish to the fish’s predator, namely Man!
So who’s to say that the saltwater fishes in Malaysia are not contaminated as well?[;)]
Its interesting how certain particles and sediments are trap in the fish body. I am very sure although not certain that some fishes in Malaysia are not suppose to be over consumed.
Especially freshwater species that may contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and saltwater species that may contain Ciguatera (fish that harbors natural toxins). As far as I know most of the Malaysian fishes does not contain ciguatera (phew..)
So what are these? PCB’s are leakages from capacitors and transformers, originated from the USA and later when technology slowly creeps the world, and so does the contaminants. These can cause serious development problems to babies and fetuses during the developmental stages.
As ‘fishingboy’ pointed out earlier, the common pollutants are a form E-coli found in many water around Malaysia. Especially where there is septic waste. What a sad scene. And yes, some people are still consuming fish from contaminated water.
Our country should impose limits and restriction of fish consumption. As ‘Fearless’ mentioned, it may even lead to impotence (Ouch! Thats scary)…
In USA, the east Atlantic Barracuda should not be consumed. Atlantic Barracuda are know for their ciguatera poison. Many fishing vessel will dispose them in a bio hazard container when they return to the dock. Some fishes are know to carry bio-toxins in their body, even when they are well cooked. Many are not aware. Probably some of the fishes that we caught may contain ciguatera.
Therefore, anglers should cautiously know or our government should do a better job at educating the public on the contaminants found in the Malaysia waters. I wonder what are they doing?
* Team Spinboyz - U1 2004 * Team MalPro - U2 2004 * Team Lucky Craft Happy Hookers - U3 2005 * Marshall - U4 2006 * General Worker - U5 2007</font id=“size1”>
“We (MFN forumers) are a few but together we are many. We are many among the millions of anglers yet to have their voices heard” - Majulah sukan memancing untuk negara
Yup, the bigger the fish the higher mercury content count they have in their body. This directs to our catch and release. That is why, anglers should not bring home fish that are too big, release them!
I suspect many fishes sold in our markets contain mercury. Here’s how:
The main source could be (no studies done yet here , but Canadian/US studies confirm it)…coal power plants!
In Penin Malaysia: there are two plants: Kapar, near Kelang, and Tanjung Bin near JB. Exhaust gase are ‘scrubbed’ well, but mercury still gets to the atmostphere, and deposited into the ecosystem by rains. It gets absorbed into plankton etc, eaten by prawns/crustaceans, and goes up the food pyramid to reach the big fishes.
Thus, fish caught in the vicinity of these power plants run the risk of high levels of mercury. Trouble is, you may buy fish in Bangsar, but you dont know where it came from!
Effects of mercury only surface after some 15 years. Are we playing a waiting game?
Reviewed several previous EIA’s (10-11 reports) for the coming Integrated Shoreline Management Plan for Melaka. No mercury found along those reclaimed areas but the E-coli concentration plus 2 other metal concentration (lead and copper) is suprisingly very high above the limit allowed.
quote:Originally posted by Sild Reviewed several previous EIA's (10-11 reports) for the coming Integrated Shoreline Management Plan for Melaka. No mercury found along those reclaimed areas but the E-coli concentration plus 2 other metal concentration (lead and copper) is suprisingly very high above the limit allowed.
Huh…??? [:0]
Sild, do you have further information like where were the samples taken; how far from shore? nearer to Port D ickson waters or to further south? Let say you catch a nice 3kg-ish angchor 30nm from shore, would the fish there contain metal content that is worriable?
