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Seafood suppliers are bracing for another wave of fear about mercury in fish. The National Fish-
eries Institute warned members on Monday that the CBS television network's "Inside Edition"
news show was due to air a segment on methylmercury in seafood this week. Meanwhile activist
groups raised the pressure on state authorities to do more to publicise the hazards of eating fish
that may contain the toxic metal.
The television news show was expected to draw national attention to the issue once again. "The
focus of the broadcast will be Dr Jane Hightower's clinical report on her wealthy patients' ele-
vated blood mercury levels and their consumption of high-end fish (swordfish, fresh tuna, etc.),"
NFI said. President Dick Gutting flew to New York on Monday to be interviewed for the story.
The seafood trade group has developed talking points to help its members answer questions from
customers and media. The industry has generally met concerns about mercury by arguing that
fish is recognised as a healthy food, that concentrations of mercury are generally low even in
species of concern, and that few ordinary consumers eat enough of those species to suffer medi-
cal problems.
While acknowledging the health benefits of fish, anti-pollution activists contend that widespread
discharges of mercury pose a threat to consumers of fish.
In Washington State, the Washington Toxics Coalition on Tuesday issued a report accusing the
state government of "failure to protect consumers from mercury contaminated fish." The report
highlights problems found in both marine fish and freshwater fish, and cites recent warnings
from federal and state authorities about possible risks to consumers. "In April 2001, the Wash-
ington State Department of Health strengthened an FDA warning by issuing a statewide advisory
warning women of childbearing age and children under six not to eat shark, swordfish, tilefish,
king mackerel, and tuna steaks and also to limit their consumption of canned tuna because of
high mercury concentrations," the report says.
In some instances, the state has issued warnings about fish in particular lakes or bays known to
be contaminated. The toxics coalition says that's not enough. "Washingtonians have no way of
knowing whether other areas of the state have mercury contaminated fish because the state dos
not have a comprehensive programme for monitoring mercury levels in fish, assessing the health
risks of contaminated fish, and notifying the public of the risks," the group's report claims.
The Washington Toxics Coalition also points to large discharges of mercury from industrial
sources. "According to federal Toxics Release Inventory data, between 1987 and 2000, more
than 21,000 pounds of mercury and mercury compounds were released directly into Washing-
ton's air, land, and water by polluting industries," the report claims. Another 1,800 pounds enters
the environment every year from dental offices, crematoria, and dumped mercury-containing
goods such as thermometers, the report says. "This is a staggering amount when you consider
that it takes only .002 pounds of mercury or just a couple of drops to contaminate a 25-acre lake
to the point where the fish are unsafe to eat."
By Brad Warren
FIS North America
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