Catfish held contaminated / Va., Md. officials plan to... -
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Published on: 4/9/1999
Last Visited: 1/5/2002
The advisory should have little affect on the seafood industry unless people react emotionally and get scared away from fish, said A.C. Carpenter.He is executive secretary of the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, which regulates fishing on the river for Virginia and Maryland.
Most people eat channel catfish smaller than 18 inches, Carpenter said.There isn't much of a market for carp, and few eels are caught for eating in that part of the river, he said.
Because of the findings about PCBs in catfish, researchers recently tested striped bass, another popular food fish in the Potomac.The stripers contained PCBs far below the level of concern, Carpenter said.
"We found they are clean, they are safe, and they are healthy."
Officials from Virginia, Maryland and the EPA have been discussing a possible catfish-eating advisory for months.