The well-respected Mercury Policy Project launched a website called Mercury and Fish: The Facts to counter misinformation about mercury in seafood spread by the lobbyists of the fishing industry. Based on scientific evidence, the website clearly documents the very serious public health problem of mercury contaminated fish and dispels the myths perpetuated by the $75 billion-a-year seafood lobby. The website can be found at www.mercuryfactsandfish.org
According the Mercury and Fish: The Facts
“When the subject of possible health hazards from methylmercury in fish comes up in media reports, the seafood lobby often responds aggressively with its own strongly held point of view. They assert that most of the facts reported by journalists are not true: In their version of reality, the benefits of eating fish are enormous, the risk from mercury exposure is trivial, there is a huge margin of safety between possible exposures and levels that pose any risk, no one has ever been harmed by methylmercury in commercially sold fish, and mercury warnings harm public health by discouraging fish consumption.
But most of their claims are fish stories—exaggerations, distortions, or outright fabrications. For people not familiar with the scientific evidence on fish and mercury risks and benefits, sorting out facts from fables can be difficult.
As a public service, we have collected here the facts on critical issues that often arise in discussions of mercury in fish. We explain each issue in simple language, presenting the seafood lobby’s fables and our responses, based on the facts.”
To learn the truth about mercury in seafood visit Mercury and Fish: The Facts
