Safe Summer Seafood

There's nothing like raw oysters and cold beer to finish off a summer's night. Or a clambake right on the beach.Or freshly caught lobster, perfectly boiled and served with melted butter. All of these are great, especially now but are they safe?Are our waters OK for these catches to exist in? Are they safe for us to eat?

So far so good. Here in the New York area we've had problems with a sewerage treatment plant leakingstraight into the Hudson. Luckily it had been contained and didn't hit the waters off of New Jersey's north shore. This would affect the striper fishing in Raritan Bay as well as the Atlantic's lobster and shellfish industries. I've spent July eating locally caught lobster almost on a weekly basis. It's all been OK and safe with out any side effects (except for the fact of me getting fat from all that melted butter). There is always some concern when it comes to oysters which are nature's natural filters. They process algae and silt rich water and basically spew out purified H2O. Unfortunately pollutants get inside too and can contaminate the oyster flesh. Usually when this happens there are news reports and warnings .

What about the radiation that leaked out of Japan this past spring? Due to the double whammy of a devastating earthquake and destructive tidal wave, the Fukushima nuclear plant wound up leaking into the Pacific Ocean. There were worries that Pacific breeds such as tuna and salmon were contaminated. There were even concerns about fish and crustaceans from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska being radiated. Again, everything is OK and seafood from California to the Aleutian Islands is safe to eat.

If you're dying for a cold plate of raw oysters then go for it. They and every other seafood is safe to eat this August. Enjoy the ripe fruits of the sea while you can.It's the season for them!