Ciguatera fish poisoning Palm Beach Reef

[TheRealAndy]

I posted up a while ago about this but it was Vanuatu, not Fiji.
We were catching a fair range of fish & were giving most to the locals on the property we were on & the ant test was done to all fish.
Our skipper, a great bloke called Alfred, had got the disease twice & did not want a third bout that's for sure.
Mr. S

I was in Noumea just recently. They call it "The Itch" over there, which is the rough translation. Apparently the do the ant test as well.

[wayno60]

this morning I got two and this is the result...

well the ants like it..

[TheRealAndy]

FWIW, in noumea they were saying they get "the itch" when coral is spawning, so at that particular time of year they dont go fishing much. Not sure if there is anything in that. May just be folklore like that ant test.

EDIT. FWIW I asked a teacher in noumea if there was another name for "The Itch", she said no but the scientific name is Ciguatera. I had suspected the whole time the locals were referring to the same thing but had a different local name for it.

[Chimo]

So Wayno60 did you eat the other half?

[Back In Black]

FWIW, in noumea they were saying they get "the itch" when coral is spawning, so at that particular time of year they dont go fishing much. Not sure if there is anything in that. May just be folklore like that ant test.

EDIT. FWIW I asked a teacher in noumea if there was another name for "The Itch", she said no but the scientific name is Ciguatera. I had suspected the whole time the locals were referring to the same thing but had a different local name for it.

Interesting thing is there is a lot of coral spawn around here at the moment??

Tony

[wayno60]

not yet but it will on the menu over the weekend...

[nathank]

FWIW, in noumea they were saying they get "the itch" when coral is spawning, so at that particular time of year they dont go fishing much. Not sure if there is anything in that. May just be folklore like that ant test.

EDIT. FWIW I asked a teacher in noumea if there was another name for "The Itch", she said no but the scientific name is Ciguatera. I had suspected the whole time the locals were referring to the same thing but had a different local name for it.

Not sure if its the same thing but i know at times over in thailand or fiji i have been snorkeling and you get really itchy.. I have had it happen heaps of times and sometimes you can put up with it and othertimes it makes you get out of the water.. I got told it was sealice..

[murf]

Apparently NSW pros are now restricted to sending sub 10kg Spanish to the markets now after a couple of cases of cig in nsw. Boat hog tells me Sydney fish markets only take smaller than 10kg Spanish from Qld too so maybe NSW has been added?

[hakuna]

Ciguatera advice to fishers on mid north and far north NSW coast

The NSW Food Authority has received notification of four ciguatera food poisoning cases resulting from the consumption of a large Spanish Mackerel (over 10kgs) caught by a licensed fisher on Chaos Reef, South East of Evans Head NSW.
This incident follows recent reports of ciguatera poisoning to Queensland Health authorities, reportedly following the consumption of a Spanish Mackerel caught on the Gold Coast.
The NSW Food Authority advises fishers that consumption of Spanish Mackerel above 10kgs (as advised by NSW industry experts) represents an increased risk of ciguatera poisoning.



NEWSCAST

an information bulletin for recreational fishers from DPI



March 2014

[randell]

Another 17 cases of food poisoning in Townsville.
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au...-1226855439893

randell

[mattooty]

The Evans Head one is bullsh!t. It was food poisoning from a fish not being iced for hours and hours after capture, a few people got sick (staff) and the bloke that caught it (a head chef) then went and bought another from the local co-op and supposedly claimed hot/cold reversal. And it was a reef called Riordans not The Kahurs (commonly mis-referenced as Chaos)

[randell]

Care for some fish n chips? http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au...-1226858634027 randell

[Camhawk88]

That is why the F&C shops up here usually only deal in grey Macks.
Most likely one fish was responsible for the 17 cases. Has the potential to ruin them.

[soggyocto]

FYI
If someone hasn't already mentioned it, I believe there is a ciguatera test kit available called cigua-check. Might be worth the money

[mattooty]

Soggyocto, I did a bit of a research on this a while ago and found that most kits are one use only and were around the $30 mark from memory. Makes a pretty exxy day if you get 5 spaniards to test them all.