I didn't want to hijack the PC dory thread, but I felt Baxters response warranted discussion in itself regarding care of tuna, the reasons why, etc. No passing judgement, but simple physics, and why people should take care of tuna with ice at sea. It is NOT a luxury in my opinion. Yes, the fish come out better, but there are also definitive heath reasons to properly care for tuna (By proper care, I am referring to Agencies such as Sea Grant that publish recommended best practices)
With the OTC event being held in Newport this weekend, the timing is good to cover once again why we require each team to properly bleed and ice their fish. Not because we want pretty medallions, but because it is the proper way to handle tuna.
As far as commercial boats go, just so you might stow away the idea that I am unfamiliar with what takes place, I started my ocean fishing career aboard a Chris Craft dory that my father commercial salmon fished in the early 70's. We later moved to a 42 foot double ender that we commercial fished for salmon and tuna. It was our goal to maximize productivity and profitability as well.
Even during the "old days" of the 70's, it was a requirement to ice down commercial catches. Ice was not a luxury, it was a necessity to provide proper care of fish.
The simple truth is that certainly fish that are solely destined for canning may be just fine without ice, or with little ice as long as they are caught, quickly brought to shore, and processed in a short time period. As long as the core temperature of the fish does not remain elevated for a period of time, the histamine level will most likely not reach a dangerous level.
For todays commercial catches, most all reputable buyers insist on testing the temperature of the fish at time of delivery to ensure that proper cooling has taken place
Here is some appropriate information for reference, as well as proposed regulations that insure cooling of fish while on the water.
Ice is NOT a luxury.
Scombroid Poisoning
Albacore and other tunas contain relatively large amounts of the amino acid histidine in their flesh (amino acids are the building blocks of proteins)². After the fish dies, bacterial enzymes break down the histidine to histamine. Humans consuming fish containing histamine, can become ill with scombroid poisoning. Symptoms include a metallic, sharp or peppery taste, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, oral blistering and numbness, facial swelling and flushing, headache and dizziness, palpitations, hives, rapid and weak pulse, thirst and difficulty in swallowing. Most victims of scombroid poisoning recover within 24 hours; antihistamines usually lead to immediate improvement. Fish most often implicated in this illness include: mahi mahi, tuna, bluefish, mackerel, and bonito.
In 1993, there were several cases of scombroid poisoning reported in Newport, Oregon from unfrozen albacore sold from a fishing vessel to a restaurant. In order for histamine to form in the fish, the albacore had to be mishandled at some point between capture and consumption. The best way to prevent scombroid poisoning is rapid chilling on the vessel and controlling the temperature of the fish throughout storage and distribution. Once histamine forms in a fish, it cannot be eliminated by cooking, freezing or smoking. Histamine production occurs rapidly at high temperatures, but slows dramatically at temperatures below 40°F. Fish held at 90°F can become toxic within six hours and fish held at 70°F can become toxic within 24 hours³.
Proposed FDA Regulations
Proposed new FDA seafood regulations may have a major effect on albacore fishermen. In general, these proposed regulations call for monitoring selected steps in the production of seafood products in accordance with HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point ) principles. In fisheries for albacore and other scombroid toxin forming fishes, handling on the fishing vessel is a critical control point in the production of a safe and wholesome product. FDA's proposed regulations for scombroid toxin forming fishes recommend that buyers ensure that the fish were chilled rapidly to 40°F after capture, and that the fish were not held at time/temperature combinations that would allow histamine production. For vessel operators, this may require:
With the OTC event being held in Newport this weekend, the timing is good to cover once again why we require each team to properly bleed and ice their fish. Not because we want pretty medallions, but because it is the proper way to handle tuna.
There is no value judgement here, but the question I ask IS legitimate.
As far as commercial boats go, just so you might stow away the idea that I am unfamiliar with what takes place, I started my ocean fishing career aboard a Chris Craft dory that my father commercial salmon fished in the early 70's. We later moved to a 42 foot double ender that we commercial fished for salmon and tuna. It was our goal to maximize productivity and profitability as well.
Even during the "old days" of the 70's, it was a requirement to ice down commercial catches. Ice was not a luxury, it was a necessity to provide proper care of fish.
The simple truth is that certainly fish that are solely destined for canning may be just fine without ice, or with little ice as long as they are caught, quickly brought to shore, and processed in a short time period. As long as the core temperature of the fish does not remain elevated for a period of time, the histamine level will most likely not reach a dangerous level.
For todays commercial catches, most all reputable buyers insist on testing the temperature of the fish at time of delivery to ensure that proper cooling has taken place
Here is some appropriate information for reference, as well as proposed regulations that insure cooling of fish while on the water.
Ice is NOT a luxury.
Scombroid Poisoning
Albacore and other tunas contain relatively large amounts of the amino acid histidine in their flesh (amino acids are the building blocks of proteins)². After the fish dies, bacterial enzymes break down the histidine to histamine. Humans consuming fish containing histamine, can become ill with scombroid poisoning. Symptoms include a metallic, sharp or peppery taste, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, oral blistering and numbness, facial swelling and flushing, headache and dizziness, palpitations, hives, rapid and weak pulse, thirst and difficulty in swallowing. Most victims of scombroid poisoning recover within 24 hours; antihistamines usually lead to immediate improvement. Fish most often implicated in this illness include: mahi mahi, tuna, bluefish, mackerel, and bonito.
In 1993, there were several cases of scombroid poisoning reported in Newport, Oregon from unfrozen albacore sold from a fishing vessel to a restaurant. In order for histamine to form in the fish, the albacore had to be mishandled at some point between capture and consumption. The best way to prevent scombroid poisoning is rapid chilling on the vessel and controlling the temperature of the fish throughout storage and distribution. Once histamine forms in a fish, it cannot be eliminated by cooking, freezing or smoking. Histamine production occurs rapidly at high temperatures, but slows dramatically at temperatures below 40°F. Fish held at 90°F can become toxic within six hours and fish held at 70°F can become toxic within 24 hours³.
Proposed FDA Regulations
Proposed new FDA seafood regulations may have a major effect on albacore fishermen. In general, these proposed regulations call for monitoring selected steps in the production of seafood products in accordance with HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point ) principles. In fisheries for albacore and other scombroid toxin forming fishes, handling on the fishing vessel is a critical control point in the production of a safe and wholesome product. FDA's proposed regulations for scombroid toxin forming fishes recommend that buyers ensure that the fish were chilled rapidly to 40°F after capture, and that the fish were not held at time/temperature combinations that would allow histamine production. For vessel operators, this may require:
- Time and temperature logs for each storage compartment (well, tote or other container) to show that:
- the fish were chilled to an internal temperature of 40°F or below as rapidly as possible after landing on the vessel,
- the fish were maintained at or below 40°F after landing on the vessel, and
- the fish were delivered with a maximum core temperature of 40°F;
- Records to show that thermometers agree within ±2°F of standard thermometers; and
- Fish inspection for decomposition with no more than 2.5% of the fish in each lot showing sensory decomposition.