California tuna and swordfish very high in mercury: study

[Bud Man]

California tuna and swordfish very high in mercury: study


Thursday, January 20, 2011, 15:30 (GMT + 9)

Tuna and swordfish samples gathered from 61 California grocery stores and sushi restaurants were found to contain mercury levels as much as three times the limit that allows federal food regulators to recall seafood from stores, claims a study by environmental health group GotMercury.org.
Tuna dish. (Photo: gotmercury.org)

The San Francisco-based public health advocacy group and arm of green advocacy group the Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) also noted that despite omnipresent concerns regarding mercury in fish, none of the restaurants and less than half of the retailers displayed signs informing consumers about the risks of heavy metal exposure, and especially advising mothers and most women not to eat swordfish and other high-mercury fish.

"They are selling food with high levels of mercury - levels the federal government says are too high for children and pregnant women to eat," said Buffy Martin Tarbox, lead author of the study. "And consumers have no idea."

Fish market. (Photo: gotmercury.org)
Still, seafood industry representatives argue that the results are misleading and could even harm consumers by diverting from eating seafood as part of a healthy diet. The industry's main trade association is also accusing GotMercury.org of starting a public relations war against the seafood sector to shelter sea turtles frequently captured as bycatch, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

"They want to cut down on seafood consumption so the sea turtles don't end up as bycatch," said Gavin Gibbons, spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute (NFI). "It's detrimental to public health and it's cloaked as helping the public."





In the study - "Operation Safe Seafood: Undercover Toxic Fish Testing Results, California 2010" - Martin Tarbox and volunteers gathered 98 samples of swordfish, tuna, halibut and salmon from 41 supermarkets and sushi spots in California. The samples were tested by Micro Analytical Systems.

Researchers were surprised by the average of neurotoxins across the samples.

Methylmercury averaged 1.47 parts per million for swordfish, compared with the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) average mercury level of just under 1 part per million. And in fresh tuna samples, the team detected an average 0.407 parts per million against the FDA's average 0.325 parts per million.
Mercury calculator. (Image: gotmercury.org)

A third of the fish samples contained levels of mercury exceeding the FDA’s mercury action level and 26 out of 32 swordfish samples contained mercury levels well above that level.

Even though the FDA randomly tests a small part of the seafood sold in the country, all fresh seafood is not required to undergo such analysis.
Tuna sushi. (Photo: gotmercury.org)

GotMercury.org is urging lawmakers and retailers who sell fish to “do the right thing” and provide information to their customers regarding mercury in seafood to help fish consumers make educated and healthful choices.

The group said its results prompted a Washington, DC lobby and marketing group that represents the fishing industry to issue a press release to the media encouraging them to not report on the study’s findings.


By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

[BeaufortTuna]

[QUOTE=Bud Man;1830800]California tuna and swordfish very high in mercury: study



GotMercury.org is urging lawmakers and retailers who sell fish to “do the right thing” and provide information to their customers regarding mercury in seafood to help fish consumers make educated and healthful choices.




Sure would be nice if they provided some scientific factual information. I will just provide a link with the most modern science. You can read and decide for yourself.

http://www.mercuryfacts.org/

[LuckyLady]

Great now Cali is going to say Fish cause cancer and are going to ban them..

Pretty sure that all fish have mercury and from what i was told as a kid the skin has the highest content of it and i know all fish have it... Guess I am just going to be Mercury and cancer filled

Just looks so darn tasty

[aloop]

I read somewhere that some groups are trying to feed farmed/ranched tuna soy based diet instead of a little fishies to lower/control mercury levels in the tuna!