Wild fish?

[Artic Exotics]

hello, I live in Kenai, Alaska. I catch wild salmon from the river and halibut off the shores in homer to feed my family and my garters. Havent noticed any problems but how do you know if wild fish is contaminated? I saw it somewhere, an article on contaminated fish but now i cant find it? can anyone send me the link or relevant info? Thanks.

[guidofatherof5]

Both fish, Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) and Salmon (Salmo salar) Salmon (Coho) (Oncorhynchus kisutch) are both on the safe fish list as it pertains to Thiaminase. You bring up a good point about other contaminates. I would check with local gov. agencies to get an answer to your question. I'm sure they test the fish on a regular basis.

[ConcinusMan]

Both fish, Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) and Salmon (Salmo salar) Salmon (Coho) (Oncorhynchus kisutch) are both on the safe fish list as it pertains to Thiaminase. You bring up a good point about other contaminates. I would check with local gov. agencies to get an answer to your question. I'm sure they test the fish on a regular basis.

Wild Alaskan fish, particulary those found well outside industrialized areas are considered some of the "cleanest" fish on the planet when it comes to heavy metals and PCB's. Much cleaner than any farmed fish and that includes farmed tilapia, which are still so low in contaminants, it's insignifcant.

I would still deep freeze your fish for a period of time to kill parasites.

.I think it's safer to buy farmed fish when possible.

That would be true, if only marginally safer, if we didn't live in Alaska. The remoteness, and sheer area size of Alaska lacking heavy industry makes their wild fish cleaner than even most farmed fish. If you live there and can get fish caught in Alaska, go for it and use it.

The cost of Alaskan wild fish here in WA/the mainland, (around $17 a pound for salmon) and the fact that they are available only during a short season, makes it a bit prohibitive for me to feed my snakes wild alaskan. Farmed tilapia is the next best alternative since they are vegetarian fish and low in heavy metals. Even farmed salmon/trout is higher in heavy metals than any wild alaskan fish.

[Artic Exotics]

Cheese and Rice! $17 a pound!! thats outrageous. We have two walk in freezers chock full of the stuff. We literally start giving it away eventually because we just cant stomach to keep eating it all the time. Guess thats what you call a good problem.

Well thanks for reassuring me about it guys. I just feed the oldest fish in the freezer to the garters in the winter cause its what I have a lot of, theyre mostly brumating, and my usual supplier of 1000 feeder guppies a batch tends to get lean during the coldest months. But man thats mind blowing- 17 a pound. What do you have to pay for our crab your first born child?

[ConcinusMan]

What do you have to pay for our crab your first born child?

King crab legs are significantly more per pound than salmon. Don't get me wrong, WA markets have WA wild caught salmon at around 12 bucks a pound but the only time I eat it is when it is caught by friends/family or myself and a person would still be wise to limit their consumption. Farmed salmon is cheaper and cleaner but it just doesn't have any flavor.

It's the copper river salmon that's so expensive.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Another thing to take into consideration is if the fish have been eating others that contain thiaminase.I think it's safer to buy farmed fish when possible.

[guidofatherof5]

Good question William.
I found this article directly related to the question.
Thiaminase

[Artic Exotics]

"-MARWOLAETH
Re: Wild fish?

Another thing to take into consideration is if the fish have been eating others that contain thiaminase. I think it's safer to buy farmed fish when possible"

Ahh yes I had that same concern when i first started feeding them it in 2009. So I hear that and you make a good point. To answer the question the natural prey items of salmon most their lives are small invertebrates (which in wild stock would have to also be the native specie) and when they are much bigger the only fish left smaller than them in the same waters to eat are mostly herring, and northern pike. One i believe is safe the others i know some are not.

That does bring up another related and interesting point. How do we know that if a fish eats a fish with thiaminase that the fishes flesh will be contaminated with it, or if it will pass harmlessly through the fish being destroyed by the digestive tract? And what portion of the fish is being tested for thiaminase when we determine a fish thiaminase free? If the digestive tract is tested negative does that mean the flesh strips we give our babies will be safe?

There is an interesting scholarly article written on the nutrient requirements of mink and foxes, where they test several different specie of fish for thiaminase which portion of fish is tested and from what source the fish are collected. On this list wild halibut from the atlantic (where i would be fishing it) is tested in the muscle and viscera (the parts I would feed to myself and the garters) and it is found to be thiaminase free.

Now here is the interested part, The salmon- this time the whole fish is tested- and is also found to be thiaminase free. So if the whole fish can be found to be thiaminase free and it naturally would be eating thiaminase containing fish- I do believe that -at least for salmon- the thiaminase must be broke down in the digestive tract in order for the fish to test negative as it does.

If anyone reading is curious there are several other fish tested on this list you can view it here: Nutrient Requirements of Mink and Foxes, Second Revised Edition, 1982 (I do realize the book is old but the testing is still relevant, wild fish are still eating the same stuff now as they did 30 years ago.)

So as you can see, I have already determined the thiaminase issue for myself years ago. The contaminates that I am mostly concerned with now are mercury and the like. So I have taken your suggestions and contacted the Alaskan Fish and Game and i am waiting to hear from them.

On the topic of preferring farmed fish. I respect your opinion and im sure its a popular one, but I do not know what farmed fish are being fed. And since I do know that farmed salmon are more prone to sea lice and other parasites, and lack at least some of the nutrition content (omega 3 fatty acids) that wild salmon do; Id venture to say that maybe its not 100% whats best for the fish to eat. I know aquarium fish food flake is made of other fish though, so even farmed fish could be eating thiaminase containing fish- or even their dead brethren lol... could just be paranoia on my part.

Not that im judging, im sure its just fine to serve to garters. On the other hand I simply do not have access to farmed fish so I dont really know. Can you imagine why we would need a fish farm when people come from around the world to fish the kenai for our Alaskan wild salmon?

[Selkielass]

Its been a long time since I had king crab, but in season it used to be around $21to a pound. Off season higher. Given how everything else has skyrocketed I wouldn't be surprised to see the 'good stuff' at twice that.
...

*googles*

Yep. $55 for 1.25lbs. Alaskan King Crab Legs

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Wow your sea food seems way to expensive.