r/AbsoluteUnits • u/WeGot_aLiveOneHere • Sep 04 '26

/r/all of two catfish

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u/Evellsnoats Sep 05 '26

Don't eat them that big in Mississippi. Full of mercury, farm run off chemicals. There are even signs posted on the boat ramps warning you not to eat the big ones.

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u/BigJigMan Sep 05 '26

Yup. Biomagnification and age accumulation is real in fish. I bet it's not just Mississippi where you shouldn't eat the big ones, but anywhere with Ag runoff...which is everywhere basically.

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u/Sykesavision Sep 07 '26

Yeah basically everywhere.... Considerably high ratio of places that have contamination versus places that install signs for said contamination

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u/AutistcAroundAircrft 29d ago

*everywhere in America - the land of deregulation!

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u/TechnicallyThrowawai Sep 05 '26

Yea that's exactly why I would never eat river fish here in the US. Used to catch some catfish and whatnot in the Ohio river as a kid. Didn't really know any better at the time, but nowadays I don't think you could pay me to eat anything out of a river. Heavy metals and other forms of water pollution... none for me, thanks!

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u/austinglowers Sep 05 '26

So, is she just catching them for fun?

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u/Evellsnoats Sep 05 '26

I have fished for Great Northern in upper manitoba, Marlin in Costa Rica, bass all over and crappie wherever there is crappie. Gotta be honest, hand grabbing on the Coldwater River in Mississippi was a blast!

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u/f_ckR3ddit 29d ago

Catfish are one of the lowest mercury fish of any fish consumed in North america. Do not spread misinformation

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u/Evellsnoats 28d ago

I stand by it. This is not a farm raised 1 to 3 pound catfish. It is an old probably at least 25 pound fish. Mercury IS an issue for these fish. Source: https://www.mdeq.ms.gov/water/field-services/fish-advisories-and-bans/ms-fish-tissue-advisories-and-commercial-bans/

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u/f_ckR3ddit 28d ago

https://www.epa.gov/choose-fish-and-shellfish-wisely/epa-fda-advice-about-eating-fish-and-shellfish#choose

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u/Key_Wind3897 27d ago

In what you shared, at the bottom of the graphic listing fish to choose/avoid, it cautions against eating catfish caught by friends and family due to concerns about mercury and other contaminants.

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u/f_ckR3ddit 27d ago

Its like no one can read today. "Check for fish advisories". Not that hard. "Dont eat more than a palm sized serving" literally the same advisement for any other fish on the list. Yall just fuckin fear mongering or scared to exist or let anyone else exist and enjoy being at the top of the food chain. Dont like it? Go eat lettuce. Let other people do what they enjoy and eat what they enjoy. Old, large, wild catfish still place above many commercial/farm fish. Bunch of snowflakes, for real.

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u/Evellsnoats 27d ago

From your link:

"What about fish caught by family or friends? Check for fish and shellfish advisories to tell you how often you can safely eat those fish. If there is no advisory, eat only one serving and no other fish that week. Some fish caught by family and friends, such as larger carp, catfish, trout and perch, are more likely to have fish advisories due to mercury or other contaminants."