HL,
many many hours spent fishing on a coastline with a notorious near shore unprocessed sewer outlet tell me otherwise.
Especially with regards to bivalve filter feeders.
Fish, and in particular eels take up and retain in their systems all manner of nasties.
See:
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ia...0/art00039
Abstract:
In this study we analyzed the pattern of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) accumulation in liver (as a detoxifying organ) and muscle (as the most important tissue for human consumption) of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and European eel (Anguilla anguilla) caught in two wild Spanish rivers where both species are usually angled for human consumption. Cd, Pb, and Cu accumulated preferentially in the liver of both species. Hg accumulated both in the liver and muscle in brown trout, whereas it accumulated preferentially in muscle in European eel. Both high metal content and preferential accumulation of Hg in muscle suggest that European eel is more harmful than brown trout for human consumption.
Document Type: Short Communication
Affiliations: 1: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2: Departamento de BiologÃÂa Funcional, Area de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, C/ Julián ClaverÃÂa s/n, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
Publication date: 2004-10-01