Mussels?

[tony t]

Originally Posted by willk

.

There is NO WAY I'd touch a mussel from an industrialised or over populated area (i.e. England)

Why not English Mussel to much for you

[whisper]

I think there is a marine biologist type member on here I will send him a pm

[willk]

Originally Posted by tony t

Why not English Mussel to much for you

Perhaps.

But my bucket of English Fish has space for a few more...

[whisper]

Originally Posted by willk

Perhaps.

But my bucket of English Fish has space for a few more...

Now you fish the other side now willk

[diver 1]

Working around the ports in the UK I've often had to scrape / shovel / power wash literally tons of mussels away from marine structures to get a clear view to do structural examinations.

I've always heard never to eat mussels from any steel based structure.

I'm not certain but I think the bacteria that are present around certain ports which cause Microbial corrosion to steelwork excrete a waste product that is ingested by the mussels / oysters and cannot be broken down, the large the mussel grows, the higher the concentration.

My view is that if these bacteria can eat and digest structural steel work then whatever they excrete can't be healthy.

On top of this add floating and surface borne pollutants such as fuels, sewage etc then I'd be pretty fussy about where to pick them.

Having said that I've eaten a lot of shellfish from small harbours old stone structures etc without any ill effects.

[EnglishLes]

What's the chance of finding Seahorsemeat in a mussel?

[willk]

Originally Posted by whisper

Now you fish the other side now willk

Hur-hur! It's legend, I can troll trawl the seven seas and there's no quota.

However, his Lordship, The Patrician, has a VERY strict Catch & Release policy so we can't keep 'em. Except Spammin* - we can keep the spammin.

_______________
*Spammin - a much prized species, puts up a good fight, often hard to dispatch. Flesh can be quite pink when caught, often found in d'Nile

[j.fishwick]

I am no expert when it comes to mussels I'm afraid but I would tend to agree with the general consensus on here that they are filter feeders and so any toxins present in the water will be concentrated in the flesh of the mussel. I personally don't eat shell fish but if I did they would have to be from clean environments; as for the steel I would tend to go with what Diver 1 has stated, it makes sense.

Sorry I can't offer more help than this but if you are really keen to know more I could ask around at work and see if anyone has any opinions.

James

[Portholme]

Porthole rule of seafood. Never eat anything that doesnt own its own arsehole!!!


Unfortunately every time I break this rule I make a nasty mess. National mussel week in Holland with some clients was horrific. Lovely trip to France with Mrs PH led to a swift exit from a very nice hotel in Bayeux.

[m chappelow]

A few folks soak their mussels over night with a hand full of bran or oats thrown in a bucket that's supposed to make it empty its stomach of its last food and gets rid of grit & sand supposed to make them bloat up a bit too .
Don't know if that still works if you've just picked them from the outfall pipe of the local nuclear power station :-0
Last year we came across some east euros picking winkles & mussels with a small toy inflatable at the mouth of the Tees , i know its cleaned up over the last few years they but dident seem too bothered about the fact that its one if the busiest ports in the uk with vast chemical plants / steel works /N power stn / oil terminals & old ship yards going back over a 100 years ( we're not eating them was their reply
So who is ?

[Cookee]

Down here in S Devon they make a thing out of the mussels being local (River Avon for one) and they're delicious! Sadly I am now allergic to Oysters otherwise I'd be eating those as well!

[Nos4r2]

I'd eat them from down your way too-it's somewhat cleaner than the Solent.

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

Last year we came across some east euros picking winkles & mussels with a small toy inflatable at the mouth of the Tees , i know its cleaned up over the last few years they but dident seem too bothered about the fact that its one if the busiest ports in the uk with vast chemical plants / steel works /N power stn / oil terminals & old ship yards going back over a 100 years ( we're not eating them was their reply
So who is ?

Bait use?

[willk]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Bait use?

They are sold. Shop price is £15 a kilo - a lot go to France . It's a big thing here (collecting them, piddling in the bucket and sending them to France...)

[A1an]

One of the advantages of living on the shore of a sea loch in the West Highlands is I can nip down to the bottom of the garden and pick Mussels, Oysters and Brown Crabs for the dinner.

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by willk

Shop price is £15 a kilo

Really? I could swear Tesco were a LOT cheaper than that last time I saw them.

[AJ.]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Really? I could swear Tesco were a LOT cheaper than that last time I saw them.

That's because its not all mussel they add seahorse to em!

[willk]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Really? I could swear Tesco were a LOT cheaper than that last time I saw them.

for Winkles, not mussels. Winklepickin' is big business.

Sea urchins (purple) are in big demand too.

[Bern Hanreck]

MIDWAY - a film by Chris Jordan

[tonymac]

Originally Posted by Bern Hanreck

MIDWAY - a film by Chris Jordan

What are we doing to our world?


(Midway is not all idyllic - it has a huge US airstrip and camp - so no wonder so many bottle tops, lighters and other crud is found in the poor birds.