PCBs — AWARNESS AND ACTION
Many people are unaware that much of the fish they eat is unhealthy. There
has been much said about the advantages of eating fish as a good protein
source, or for omega-3 fatty acids, which are both true. What many don’t
hear, however, is
that several species of fi sh have been found to have high levels of contaminants,
such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), mercury, dioxins, pesticides and
antibiotics. Most of the tuna that people consume has high levels of mercury,
which causes neurological damage. Much of the farmed salmon, often called
Atlantic salmon, has dangerous levels of PCBs, which are carcinogens. Many
farmed fish are given antibiotics, which cause doctor prescribed antibiotics
to be less effective in fighting off sickness in humans.
The FDA is responsible for ensuring the safety of fi sh sold commercially,
both wild caught and farmed. Their testing methods and contaminant levels
are unacceptable for safe consumption of the fish we eat. The FDA tests fish
as part of a Total Diet Study, which measures the chemical content in the
average diet, not in fish specifically. The FDA levels are dangerously inadequate,
at levels which the EPA would barely recommend consumption at all.
We seek to be protected from these contaminants that pervade our water and
the fish we eat. To join the Restaurants for Healthier
Fish Initiative, see the Guide for Action, and
print and distribute the Information Guide and
the Letter for Restaurants.
To learn more read our Background Sheets: PCB Information Page, Pesticide Information Page, and Mercury Information Page at www.oceansalert.org