Don't eat the fish from the Macal river! That's what an advisory from the Ministry of Health says. Samples taken from fish in April show Mercury levels in the Bay Snook higher than the last time and three time above the allowable amount. The level is expected to continue to rise and so the ministry is advising the public to stop eating bay snook form the Macal until the mercury level falls.
Intake of Mercury can produce many long term effects including mental retardation in children, poor development of infants, vision impairment, nervousness, and weakening of muscles in the hand and feet.
We stress that Bay - snook fished from other areas is safe. Those in Cayo tell us that Bay snook is not plentiful in the MAcal at this time of year, it is more common in the early months of the year.
And what causes the increased mercury levels? Well, it's widely accepted that hydroelectric dams cause mercury bacteria to thrive, which increases mercury levels in fish.
