Heavy industry accounts for 40% of the mercury-dumping in the
US. The mercury, of course, washes into streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. Small fish consume it. Larger fish consume the smaller fish, and humans consume the larger fish. Matthew Davis ate his “brain food” of tinned tuna each day for lunch. After getting worse at playing catch,
Davis’ parents noticed that he was having problems in school, and his fingers were disturbingly curled. Tests showed Matthew's blood was laced with mercury in amounts nearly double what the Environmental Protection Agency says is the safe level. Matthew had mercury poisoning, his doctors said.
While some people claim tuna (and shark and swordfish and King mackerel and Tilefish) is extremely unsafe to eat, due to potential long-lasting neurological effects, a spokesman for the US Tuna Foundation (who is no doubt completely objective) says, “That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life.” This is a lengthy but interesting article from the WSJ hinting that tuna companies and the EPA have been in each other’s back pockets for quite some time. Hmm… So who wants tacos tonight?
[Thanks, Eric]
1. So here I am commenting on my own news tip...
I know someone whose family owns fish market and restaurant in California's South Bay area. I asked this person about the dangers of mercury in fish and was told the "scare" is a product of the media boogyman.
This ping-pong game of pointing fingers in the opposite direction does nothing but discourage people from making any decision. Afterall, would my neighborhood restauranteer lie to me? Isn't the EPA here to protect me? And those scientists...phooey on the Scientific Method since you can use statistics to get whatever answer you want, and gee, aren't they in the back pocket of Corporate foundation grant money anyway?
It's no wonder people keep buying Chilean Seabass and eating large game fish. Who do we believe about any of this?
Posted at 10:41AM on Aug 8th 2005 by Eric