Sat
Feb 6 2010
04:51 pm
Commercial Fishing Permits Issued for Fish with Consumption Advisories
By: WhitesCreek

I need help undestanding this one. There are consumption advisories for catfish, bass, striped bass, and several others in Watts Bar lake. But commercial licenses are issued and thousands of pounds of catfish caught in Watts Bar are sold into local markets. Is this a good idea?
The EPA's Craig Zoeller looked at me incredulously when I told him there are people who eat Watts Bar Fish every day. Here's the study.

Update: Watts Bar was closed to Commercial Fishermen by TWRA in 2008

Is this a good idea?

Submitted by revpeg on February 7, 2010 - 6:54pm.

In a word, no. And the study (2002) was done -before- the ash spill and the resulting aggregation of pollution. Catfish are bottom-feeders which will accumulate the pollutants in their tissues. Who issues these commercial fishing licenses, anyway, and why are they allowing unsuspecting people in Atlanta (and other places) to buy and eat this polluted fish? You've asked Mr. Zoeller, I hope he, as a representative of the government, makes some phone calls for intervention, pronto!

Peggy Blanchard
Swan Pond resident

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