Fishing is a pastime that many people enjoy. However, many others are also concerned about the safety of fish while fishing. Fish are a popular source of protein for many people and a lot can go wrong when cooking or eating it. This article will examine some of the dangers that await you when fishing, as well as what you should do to be sure that your catch is safe to eat.
Dangers Involved In Fishing
There are a number of dangers that you need to be wary of when fishing. The main one is fish poisoning. Most freshwater fish are sensitive to certain metals such as mercury or cadmium. These metals are usually harmless on their own, but when combined with fish they become a threat to human health. If you eat any kind of fish that is contaminated with these metals, you may experience serious consequences such as damage to your central nervous system. The good news is that you can often determine if a fish is contaminated with these metals simply by looking at it. The scales should be clear and glistening; if they are shiny then chances are the fish is contaminated.
Another danger associated with fishing is entanglement. Many fish have very sensitive teeth which they use to grind up food. This makes them highly susceptible to being caught in traps or caught on hooks when hunting. Some types of fish, such as crocodilians, are also endangered because they eat mostly fish. If you are hunting or fishing in a protected area, then you run the risk of being fined or even arrested.
Cooking And Serving Fish Wisely
When cooking fish, you need to do so correctly. Some common mistakes that people make are overcooking it and serving it undercooked. Both of these are dangerous because you will most likely end up with an undercooked piece of fish that may make you sick. To prevent this, ensure that the fish is cooked thoroughly, which takes a good amount of time. Depending on the type of fish you catch, this could take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour or more. After you finish cooking it, you should always let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Eating Fish With Other Foods
When cooking fish, it is best to prepare it alone or with other foods from the sea. This is because the taste of the sea is largely absent from freshwater. When you eat fish with other foodstuffs, they will tend to clash with the taste of the fish. This can be avoided by preparing the fish on its own or serving it alongside some seafood that has a similar flavor.
Safe Sizes For Eating
Some people believe that all fish are created equal and that regardless of how big or small they are, all fish should be eaten in the same way. While this may be true for certain types of fish, others are actually safer to eat in certain sizes. For example, plaice, or European flounder, is usually safe to eat in smaller portions because they contain less mercury than many other types of fish. Similarly, Arctic char is usually safe to eat in smaller amounts because it tends to have lower levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBS) than many other fish. While there are no exact figures available, it is believed that about 40% of the seafood consumed in the U.S.A is contaminated with some kind of toxin. This means that many people are at risk of being harmed by what they eat while fishing. In order to be sure that your fish is safe to eat, you need to be mindful of the water quality in which they swim and of the time they have spent in transit to your plate. As with most things in life, prevention is the key to avoiding danger when fishing. Educating yourself about the safety of fish while fishing and cooking them is the surest way to keep both you and your family healthy and happy from the very first bite all the way until the last one.