http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_Y0TpVrGsc&feature=related(Check out the above cartoon before you read this, its pretty funny.)
One of the concerning things about my sailing trip is the possibility of catching fish wich contain Ciguatera. I am aware that Paddletails, Chinaman fish and Red Bass are common carriers of this neurotoxin in northern waters. However I was surprised to discover that more than 400 species of fish world wide have been reported to cause Ciguatera poisoning. While it appears that, generally, it is the larger, predatory reef fish may carry the toxin, other species such as the Spanish Mackerel and even Barracuda can also carry it.
The most frustrating thing is that you can never predict exactly where the fish contamination is occurring. 100% reliable information is not possible. For example, on a given tropical island one side may contain fish which are safe to eat, while the same species of fish caught on the other side will be poisonous.
Given how horrible and how long symptoms may persist, I got worried that I would be forced to limit myself to a number of species which I would know with a high level of certainty would not contain the toxin. I mean, some people, granted a small amount, experience symptoms for 20+ years! I don’t know about you but I would rather not experience them at all.
There are various ‘folk’ cures and means of testing which fish may contain it, and the general advice is to seek local knowledge and not to eat larger fish. This is not particularly re-assuring for my situation as I know very little about the waters I will be spearing in.
By pure chance I have encountered this fantastic product and I will be stocking up on it, let me tell you!
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