Are gulf shrimp safe to eat?

[Jeffersons Ghost]

I can't find much about about contaminated seafood online. It's likely part of a news blackout.

Oil Spill Threatens Gulf Seafood
Seafood lovers can take
comfort in the fact that oil
has yet to have a major
impact on shrimp, oysters
and fish catches in the Gulf --
at least for now." Wed Jun 2, 2010

Fishermen along the Gulf are racing
against the clock before the oil
spill affects their harvest.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. I don't know about all gulf shrimp, but the gulf is huge, and was not all

affected by oil. I know people in Houston area who say oil never got to that part of the gulf and shrimp is fine there.

Just because it comes from the Gulf of Mexico should not mean it is automatically tainted. And just an opinion from me since I have no real knowledge about the life cycles and tolerances of shrimp, I would expect that any shrimp affected by oil would have died at this point from the contamination.

On the other hand, it is agreed that we cannot trust that the media would be forthcoming with bad news.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. I guess a lot of people would say I'm nuts, but I eat Gulf Shrimp as a way to support the people who

.... have been hurt badly by this crime. I have to trust that the fish is checked. Sure, it might have Corexit or oil in it. But we eat so much crap, what's a bit more?

Honestly, I think the bulk of the Gulf shrimp supply is safe.

[Curmudgeoness]

7. I am glad you said that. I wasn't ready to be condemned for

suggesting that these people are hurting badly down there and need our support. Their way of living is being destroyed by oil, then by fear. They need economic help and thanks for thinking that way.

[hlthe2b]

8. Why would ANYONE condemn you for suggesting the people

of the Gulf are "hurting badly down there and need our support?" Seriously, that seems a little bit a slap in the face at DUers.....:shrug:

The truth is most will be willing to accept a bit more uncertainty when it comes to eating Gulf seafood. What most should realize is thatwhlie there may be some lingering concerns for the Gulf region, when you look at the risks from eating farmed shrimp from Thailand and other areas that can be PCB and mercury contaminated-- the issues in the very large area of the Gulf of Mexico-- are put in proper perspective.

[Curmudgeoness]

12. Why indeed. Yet...

it happens to me sometimes for the most benign comments (in my mind). Not many DUers do this, but gotta tell ya, sometimes I just hold my breath when I click "post message".

:hide:

There are some who may think it is wrong to encourage eating toxins, and some people have not stated their disagreement very diplomatically. This has never happened to you?

[hlthe2b]

13. Oh, the bullying aspects of some on DU can not be denied...

Some here simply have to have the last word or feel superior or whatever, so that they (intentionally?) misconstrue the comments of others. We should come to the aid of each other when that occurs. ;)

[MajorChode]

11. 85 million pounds of catfish alone was imported from the Mekong last year

Kinda makes all they worry about Gulf shrimp seem pale by comparison.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx4cykHy0RM

[Warpy]

9. Gulf shrimp rarely make it out here to the high desert

but I'd prefer them over the tiger prawns from southeast Asia that are farmed in appalling conditions and contaminated with agricultural runoff, human waste, and pollution from unregulated factories.

Most of my living comes from oil stock. Although it's not BP, all big oil companies have had their problems and have had to learn the hard way that paying pennies up front for prevention is better than paying millions at the back end for damages.

Were gulf shrimp to arrive here, I'd probably give them the sniff test and eat them if they passed.

[hlthe2b]

3. Probably...

that is undoubtedly the closest you will get to a determinative answer, since the techniques for testing specifically for dispersant residue is not really developed and there are a lot of unanswered questions about the break down byproducts of that chemical and their effects over time. Risk in this case is probably relative. I would eat from a source I believe to be reliable, but in moderation. To the extent there are concerns, it would be more likely for repeated or continuous low dose (chronic) exposure, for which we don't have a lot of answers.


I'll be interested to hear others weigh in, but that is my assessment from everything I've read (and some experience in assessing human health risk from chronic exposure to toxic chemicals).

Since I never ate shrimp daily or even multiple times weekly in the past, I would continue my normal patterns (several times each month) without much concern.

[Angry Dragon]

4. You may find the dispersant to be a bigger threat than the oil.

More toxic than the oil and much harder to test for, if they test at all.

[NightWatcher]

5. depends where you get them, the Eastern Gulf appear to be fine

but I know a shrimper who had some funky mullet from the Destin area.

eater beware

[tammywammy]

6. Local Chefs Hope To Serve Up Gulf Seafood Recovery

After months of watching gallons and gallons of oil leaking into the Gulf waters; many seafood lovers- wonder; is any of it safe to eat? In an effort to show that it is White House Chef Cris Comerford along with the Louisiana Seafood Association asked more than 20 chefs to gather in New Orleans recently and see for themselves.

"What we saw were clean waters that never saw oil and I think the further away from source of spill the safer it is," saids Michael Schwartz, Executive Chef of Michael's Genuine in the Miami Design District.

He and Peter Vaugthy, Head Chef of Red the Steakhouse on South Beach were 2 of the 3 chefs from South Florida who just returned from the region. They toured for 2 days and both were truly surprised at what they found.

"As a chef, was I was unaware what seafood grounds were open and surprisingly 80 percent of the fishing and shrimping areas are open and taking product," asked Peter. "What we found was there's probably more rigorous testing going on in the Gulf than other body of food."

-snip-

http://cbs4.com/food/gulf.seafood.oil.2.1917071.html

[golddigger]

10. Shrimp dispersant cocktail coming right up.

[ShamelessHussy]

14. Unfortunately, I avoid them now...

i love seafood, especially shrimp, but i don't want to get sick.

[cdsilv]

15. I've lived on or near the gulf coast since '87 and love gulf seafood.....

...however, I also worked for a petrochem co. and well understand the dangers of petroleum. I won't be eating any gulf seafood for the foreseeable future and have serious reservations about consuming top-level predators (tuna, salmon, mackerel, shark) anywhere due to mercury. Plus there's the corexit. I'll miss shrimp, oysters & crawfish. So I'll have to learn more about lamb, freshwater fish & shellfish, birds and game. I used to know all about those before I discovered the oceans.

Yah, change is good. right.

[FedUpWithIt All]

16. We've stopped eating Gulf seafood as well.

A lot of people are showing very high numbers of some very bad chemicals in the Gulf area.

[JVS]

17. Better safe than sorry.

[PurityOfEssence]

18. Well, the guys who capped it said they'd be going out for prime rib if it's successful...

You'll note that they're not going out for seafood.

[HopeHoops]

19. I wouldn't trust them. Farm-raised are safer anyway.