Environmental impact of conservation materials

Paul Harrison <paulehar [at] netvigator__com> writes

>I pride myself in belonging to a 'green profession' I work as a
>metal conservator. I note that painting conservators use sturgeon
>glue as a superior glue. Should you? the sturgeon is being heavily
>overfished for caviar, although glue is a tiny by product of the
>trade, it is helping to push an ancient wonderful fish to
>extinction.

Paul Harrison's query is fair enough, but it seems to assume that
all isinglass comes from Russian sturgeon.  That is not the case.

Many fish have a swim bladder, and it is the swim bladder from which
isinglass is prepared.  I manufacture my own isinglass from the swim
bladders of Columbia River (U.S.A.) sturgeon, and from Snake River
catfish swim bladders, and it seems to be quite as good as any other
isinglass.

Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Lab.
Portland, Oregon
USA
503-735-3942 (voice/fax)


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:9
                   Distributed: Friday, July 28, 2000
                        Message Id: cdl-14-9-003
                                  ***