30 critical after eating barracuda

[scotsfiancee]

30 critical after eating barracuda


By Thea Alberto
INQ7.net
Last updated 04:26pm (Mla time) 08/08/2006


AT least 30 people are in critical condition after eating barracuda in the Arevalo district of Iloilo City on Sunday, an official said Tuesday.

The victims, who felt dizzy after eating the fish, have been confined at the Iloilo Doctors Hospital and Saint Paul’s Hospital since Sunday, according to Senior Superintendent Wesley Barrayuga, Deputy Regional Director for Operations for Western Visayas.

The fish was allegedly bought from Mario Mabaquiao, a vendor at the Iloilo public market, he said.

The victims were identified as Remis Tanieza, Athea Togado, Johnny Togado, Deserie Bahagi, June Villahermosa, Nieva Villahermosa, Caryl An Vilahermosa, Preciosa Diesca, Daisy Roa, Dalvic Roa, Anaquito Roa, David Roa, Norlyn Marañon, Nelia Marañon, Adolfo Panea, Marilyn Abaygar, Efren Abaygar, Ronald Gellowagan, Mike Arancillo, Grace Arancillo, Melody Guzon, Rogelio Caniesa, Orlando Belonio, Vivien Ondoy, Cecilia Mabaquiao, and Zonia Thoncha.

So we have to watch what we are eating here especially that kind of fish

[CaptainSmirk]

Hmmm, barracuda is a very tasty fish, if you ask me.

some links for the recipes:
http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cooking...cbarracuda.htm
http://www.sport-fish-info.com/seafo...sages/586.html
http://www.belizenorth.com/barricuda.htm

This is my presumed scenario:

The fish in question must've been of a good size (assuming it is just one, as barracudas grow to a length of 7 feet) judging from the number of people "poisoned".

In Arevalo, Iloilo City, there is a stretch of beach fronting restaurants that serve seafoods. (of course!) and people flock to the area to dine. (Iloilo City airport was our touchdown point for our Boracay trip.)

Restaurant owners buy from the city's main wet market and stock the fish in their freezers awaiting the customers.

While it's easy to put the blame on the fish vendor, the restaurant owner should be held liable also for some negligence - in their experience haven't they known that the fish isn't fresh? Or was it under their care, that the fish began it's decomposition.

BTW, i have a fishery degree, so I find this thread interesting (thanks scotsfiancee)...and I majored in Post Harvest Technology.

For many years we have been telling the fisherfolks to put ice on the new catch IMMEADIATELY! As decomposition starst right after death (I could discuss the process of rigor mortis and the breakdown of proteins here...but nah! that would be a bore...)

Few are heeding the call, as the established notion was that iced ones are thought to be stale. Apparently this one is quite true - as fisherfolks would only add the ice after sometime when the fish isn't sold. They manage to slow down an advanced state of decomposition instead of arresting it and slowing it down from the start!!!!!

That fish is spoiled.......but barracudas are tasty fish, when fresh. Any fish fish when spoiled, KILLS!

(I studied in a university in Iloilo for 5 years prior to working in Manila.)

[aromulus]

I remebered some snippets of info from when I used to sail around the world. One afternoon I went fishing off the docks in Barbados, with the customary "red stripe"... after some chilling out, the line went tout, and started reeling...One of the locals told me, after landing the fish, that it was a barracuda, and I might as well chuck it back in the water, as it was unedible. And so i did. Always wondering if got stitched up....
But the previous post made me curious and had a quick google.... it is...
actually poisonous.

[
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BARRACUDA - DANGEROUSLY TASTY
published: Thursday | April 6, 2006

Shelly-Ann Thompson, Freelance Writer


Early last week there were reports of 19 persons from Enfield, St. Mary being poisoned and subsequently hospitalised at the Annotto Bay Hospital in the parish, allegedly from eating barracuda fish. Food decided to explore this notorious fish and explain why it is poisonous.
THE BARRACUDA, a large tropical marine fish, is one that you will either find irresistible to eat or that you will avoid. Consumers usually have no understanding of when a barracuda is best for consumption nor do they know if, when eaten, it has any toxins harmful to the human body.
Barracudas, known as cuda, sea pike and giant sea pike, have long been acknowledged as a poisonous or unfavourable fish for consumption. They may become impregnated with a toxic substance that produces a form of poisoning known as ciguatera.
POISONOUS TOXINS
Marine biologist, Dayne Buddo, says that humans are at great risk if barracudas are consumed. "Humans have been known to get ciguatera poisoning from the consumption of barracudas," he told Food.
Ciguatera poisoning occurs from the consumption of cigua toxins. These toxins are produced by a variety of microscopic algae, but the one most notably responsible for ciguatera is gambierdiscus toxins.
"Barracudas consume a wide variety of fish and most of these are herbivorous fish (fish that consume plants). Some of these fish are filter-feeders and will filter these toxic microalgae out of the water and accumulate the toxins in their tissues. These fish in turn will be eaten by barracudas passing on the cigua toxins to the barracudas and causing the poisons to accumulate in the flesh," explained Mr. Buddo, who is also senior research officer of the Natural History division at The Institute of Jamaica.
Unfortunately, cigua toxin is unaffected by temperature, gastric acid, or cooking method. The presence of toxin does not affect odour, colour, or taste of the fish, said the biologist.
Manifestations of ciguatera in humans usually involves a combination of gastrointestinal, neurological and cardiovascular disorders.
Fisherman of 18 years, Ishmael Hall, informed Food that whenever the barracuda becomes sick, like humans they seek medicine. The medicine the barracuda will take in is a certain type of seaweed, referred to as copperweed, by fishermen. "When they (barracuda) are sick, they do not eat. They instead prey on their medicine."
Mr. Hall said the medicine when consumed by the barracuda and the fish is eaten by humans, can cause hair loss, diarrhoea and, or hospitalisation. "I wouldn't advise housewives to buy barracuda from anyone," he says.
Mr. Hall noted a trick often used by fishermen to identify if caught barracudas are poisonous, is that they attract insects. "If there is no fly or ant attracted to it, then it's poisonous. This is a tactic that has worked for years," said Hall who fishes throughout Jamaica.

Additional source: http://www.aloha.com/ ~lifeguards/barracud.html
FEROCIOUS FISH
In the sea barracudas are good, fighting sporting fish. Mr. Buddo said that the barracuda is a ferocious predator. They use speed to attack and wound their prey. Barracudas primarily eat smaller fishes, such as mullets, anchovies and grunts. "They cruise through the warm oceans, covering great distances in the search for food. Once they have found their prey, the barracuda's streamlined, muscular body allows it to zoom into the shoal, snapping at anything in its path with rows of large razor-sharp teeth. The barracuda then returns to eat the wounded fish, cutting up larger fish with wide, powerful chomps," said Mr. Buddo.
Mr. Hall who has years of experience said a barracuda is easily identified, especially by the shape of its head. "The barracuda is known by its pointed head. Its head and teeth can make anyone scared because they are razor-sharp and strong. The scales of a barracuda are also a little bigger than others. The tail, too, has a V with an arched shape at the end."
DELICIOUS DINNER
Despite its notoriety Mr. Hall noted the barracuda is one of his favourite fish. "The taste is out of this world. Most people say it's a fisherman thing but the taste is fabulous for me."
"It tastes different, as its harder, not tender as other fish. When you fix up a barra' with the fish pickle and leave it for a day or two then eat it, you don't want anything else but a barracuda, again. I have customers who specifically ask for it."
Mr. Hall, however, warns consumers to be careful when purchasing fish as many fishermen cut the heads off of a barracuda and one might be buying a poisonous fish. "Most vendors cut it (the head) off and sell it as a king or mackerel fish because most people don't like barracuda."
SIZE AND TOXINS
The barracuda can grow up to two metres (six feet) in length. Its body is long and sleek, covered in small, smooth scales that help the barracuda cut through the water. "Generally, fish larger than two kg (four pounds, four ounces) contain significant amounts of toxin and readily produce toxic effects when ingested. Fish at this size will consume large amounts of fish, and are more likely to accumulate high levels of cigua toxins," says Mr. Buddo. When purchasing fish during this Lenten season make sure you know what fish you are buying.

[scotsfiancee]

Wow thats a nice idea captainsmirk but obviously vendors here put an ice on the fish after the whole day selling..not from the start they catched. So i have learned few things about fish.....fish...that filipino's main dish! We dont have much of barracuda's in our city, its totally diffrent from DIWIT a silver fish ,with a long flat body...

This was dated last August 21, 2001
ILOILO CITY --- The Department of Health here has reported a total of 578 cases of ... warning the public to refrain from eating barracuda species of fish.
** They had already warned since before not to eat too much of barracuda** its not really safe to eat

[KeithD]

Something fishy about this thread

[scotsfiancee]

You want some fish from here Keith

[KeithD]

Just stay out the sea so the fish smell fresh

[walesrob]

Something fishy about this thread

Keith you are not funny

[CaptainSmirk]

Hmmm, I got in contact with my former professors about this and yeah, aromulus there is quite right. Ciguatera is the real culprit - the microscopic algae that thrives on the fish's body. I dunno why they find baracudas as good host.

When people ingest the fish that has ciguatera, they get poisoned by its (algae's) toxins.

Marine finfish most commonly implicated in ciguatera fish poisoning include the groupers, barracudas, snappers, jacks, mackerel, and triggerfish. Many other species of warm-water fishes harbor ciguatera toxins. The occurrence of toxic fish is sporadic, and not all fish of a given species or from a given locality will be toxic.

And ciguateras usually thrive in lower latitudes (near and below equator) thus in the northern hemisphere there is very little of ciguatera poisoning reports...as ciguateras, a kind of dinoflagellate (hope I don't bore you guys with jargons here) bloom (they are plants remember?) - ciguateras bloom usually during summer months when the ocean is warm....

my 2 cents there...