News Article: Alaska one of only two states without fish testing
Government reluctant to provide information that could hurt fishing industry
By: Cathy Holt
The fish you buy at your local Alaskan supermarket may be hazardous to your health, according to studies done by Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT), in conjunction with Oceana.
“The greatest threat of mercury poisoning for the Alaska consumer is that from the store-bought fish purchased at the local supermarket,” states Pam Miller, founder and director of ACAT, citing findings from a major twenty-two-state mercury testing project which included samples taken from swordfish sold at Carrs in Anchorage. The project confirmed that some store-bought swordfish and tuna contain levels of mercury that the Federal Government has determined to be potentially hazardous to human health--and to young children, in particular.
“I think the latest science shows that there really is no safe level of mercury exposure,” says Miller, “especially for developing children who are particularly at risk for neuro-developmental problems.”
The FDA utilizes mercury “action levels” in order to determine when a fish is a threat for human consumption. “Years ago, the FDA had an action level of .5 parts per million (ppm),” Miller recalls. “Due to pressure from the industry, [the FDA] increased the action level to 1 ppm.”
Three swordfish samples collected from a Carrs supermarket in Anchorage were measured at .903, .668, and .503 ppm. Though these measurements are within the new standards set by the FDA, they are all above the original standards.
A visit to an Anchorage Carrs revealed that the store does make efforts to caution consumers about the mercury levels in swordfish and fresh tuna, although issuing warnings is not always possible. An assistant manager of the seafood department stated that she is somewhat familiar with EPA warnings regarding high levels of mercury found in swordfish, and that Carrs posts information on the packaging if the fish arrive with a warning label.
“Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t arrive with warnings,” she said. “The swordfish never does, so we do not ever post warnings on them. There is no law requiring supermarkets to post mercury warnings,” she continued, even though such information would allow consumers to avoid potential exposure to mercury.
Recently, Robert Kennedy, Jr., stated in a speech for the Cook Inlet Keeper that 48 states in the U.S. warn that at least some of the fish caught in their waters is unsafe to eat because of toxic levels of mercury. Nineteen of these states revealed that none of their fish is safe. The mercury found in fish poses the biggest threat to pregnant mothers, whose unborn children can develop neurological problems from exposure to mercury.
Searches on the internet revealed several studies done by independent researchers, all of whom reported healthy, consumable levels of mercury in fish caught in Alaskan waters. Alaska is, however, only one of two states that does not have official advisories to oversee fish testing; money has not been allocated for this purpose.
Even if we avoid the fish supplied in supermarkets and consume only fish caught in Alaskan waters, though, we are still not guaranteed long-term protection from mercury toxicity. Although the Alaska independent research studies revealed healthy results in our fish, according to Miller, we simply do not have all the information we need to make well-informed decisions.
“Without regulated testing, we don’t know a lot about other species of fish like halibut from certain locations that might have heavy mining,” says Miller, referring to one of the four main emitters of mercury. In addition to mining operations, chlorine plants, power plants, and medical waste incinerators contribute to the level of mercury in water.
“The state of Alaska has been very reluctant to provide the kind of information that people need in order to make important decisions about their fish consumption,” Miller continues. “The economy is strongly tied to fishing, so negative findings may lead to a decline in the financial well-being of the state.”
“Robert Kennedy, Jr., said that he can no longer take his kids fishing where he once did because the mercury levels are too high. A whole tradition of parents and families fishing together is disappearing,” Miller says. Here in Alaska, she reminds us, “There is a great deal of tradition associated with fishing. It would be a great shame to lose that.”