WA DOH Wants You to Eat Less Sturgeon–Who Actually Eats It?

The Washington State Department of Health has issued a bulletin this week for Washington fishermen, to eat less sturgeon.

Who eats sturgeon anyway?

Sturgeon, sometimes referred to as the dinosaur fish, are pursued by many fishermen in our region. They are large, sometimes bony, and scary-looking fish, not exactly something you slobber over at mealtime.

Now the DOH has issued a warning:

“While it is important to know the risks of consuming fish with high levels of contaminants, DOH does not recommend people stop eating all fish. A diet with a variety of fish sources has health benefits."

They went on to say that due to the levels of PCB's and other contaminants, they don't recommend eating sturgeon, or lampreys for that matter. Lampreys are tubular sucker fish that often attach themselves to fish and suck their insides out.

Sturgeon, according to the DOH, also seem to contain higher levels of mercury.

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According to some Wikipedia information and data from various fish recipe websites sturgeon are most commonly used (their eggs) for caviar. From Wikipedia:

"Globally, sturgeon fisheries are of great value, primarily as a source for caviar, but also for flesh. Several species of sturgeon are harvested for their roe which is processed into caviar."

They're not exactly found in most delis in our local grocery stores, though.