AW: AW: AW: Food Irradiation Alert - Sierra Club of Canada

["Franz Schoenhofer" <franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT>]

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

Von: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu]Im Auftrag von Grimm, Lawrence

Gesendet: Donnerstag, 05. Dezember 2002 21:41

An: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Cc: 'Ted de Castro'

Betreff: RE: AW: AW: Food Irradiation Alert - Sierra Club of Canada





Radsafers:



A couple of experimental shipboard irradiators were made by Brookhaven back

in the '60's.  One now resides at the U of Nebraska-Lincoln, and I believe

the other is in South America.  Designed to test the efficacy of shipboard

irradiation, the irradiator chambers were small - only two fish at a time.

It weighs about 26,000 lbs. and was initially loaded with 28,000 Ci of

Co-60. I have a picture of it that I could scan if anyone is interested.



I worked on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska, and I know the problems

associated with getting the fish to market quickly and/or freshly (I also

learned that it is too dangerous a job for my liking).  When I happened upon

the shipboard irradiator at Nebraska, I was fascinated and researched its

history.  Adding to my fascination was the coincidence that I knew the ship

which carried the irradiator - a U of Washington research vessel. The ship

was moored about 500 yards from my father's boat. From the studies I read,

the irradiator worked quite well to preserve fish.



Incidentally, the U of Washington Fisheries Department was experimenting

with low dose irradiation of fish (salmon) eggs about the same time.  The

studies from these experiments indicated a positive effect on the number of

hatchlings and size of fish returning to spawning grounds.



An irradiator on a ship? Yes. Understand that they would not put an

irradiator on every fishing boat.  They would put it on the tender boat,

which collects fish from many fishing boats.  Today's tender boats are often

processing plants as well as storage/transport vehicles.  They are huge

ships, and could accept an irradiator without any trouble - at least in

respect to weight.  Of course there are radiological considerations for the

crew, but that's another discourse.



The curious question that I have is: would fish irradiation increase,

decrease, or make no difference to the total number of fish caught?  As

fishing grounds are being over-fished, this question is vital. Irradiation

may be a small solution or could add to the problem of over-fishing.

--------------------------------------------------



Larry,



Thank you for your very interesting comment. You very well pointed out the

practice, which people like me do not know. I appreciate your comment even

more, because it clearly shows, that radiological issues (like food

irradiation) cannot be seen one-sided, but they are interwoven with other

ecological questions like over-fishing.



With my best regards,



Franz





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