Sad Niblets About Fish

See this at: cnn.com| Added on 06/28/07

•The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it is blocking the import from China of five species of seafood until their importers can prove they are not contaminated. "FDA is initiating an import alert against several species of... See more

•The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it is blocking the import from China of five species of seafood until their importers can prove they are not contaminated. "FDA is initiating an import alert against several species of imported Chinese farmed seafood because of numerous cases of contamination with drugs and unsafe food additives," said Dr. David Acheson, the agency's assistant commissioner for food protection, in a conference call with reporters. The species cited are catfish, eel, shrimp, basa and dace, he said. Basa is similar to catfish; dace is similar to carp. The medications cited include the antimicrobials nitrofuran, malachite green, gentian violet and fluoroquinolones. Nitrofuran, malachite green, and gentian violet have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Use of fluoroquinolones in food-producing animals can result in antibiotic resistance. None of them is approved for use in farmed seafood in the United States and some of them have... See less

Highlights: China is the world's largest producer of farmed fish, accounting for 70 percent of the total produced, he said. It is the third-largest exporter of farmed fish to the United States.

See this at: money.cnn.com| Added on 06/19/07

What to do? The seafood industry wants to grow more fish on farms, which already cultivate shrimp, salmon, oysters, clams, catfish and other species - providing nearly half the world's fish. New legislation proposed by the Bush administration would... See more

What to do? The seafood industry wants to grow more fish on farms, which already cultivate shrimp, salmon, oysters, clams, catfish and other species - providing nearly half the world's fish. New legislation proposed by the Bush administration would make it easier to develop industrial-scale aquaculture in ocean waters. Today, U.S. aquaculture is concentrated in lakes, ponds and waters close by the shore. "If we expect people to eat seafood twice a week because it's good, we really need to get aquaculture going in this country." says John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute, a Washington-based trade association. Others are in no such hurry. Some environmental groups oppose the proposed National Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2007 (NOAA), arguing that it doesn't go far enough to protect the oceans from pollution. Among the risks: Fish can escape from farms and damage the wild fish population, diseases from farmed fish can spill over into the natural fish population, fish... See less

Highlights: Food & Water Watch, an anti-corporate activist group, declares: "The factory-farm model is being adopted for aquaculture: growing food as cheaply as possible using toxic chemicals and other harmful techniques, packaging it in enormous bulk, and shipping it to distant grocery stores and...

See this at: sectionz.info| Added on 08/22/06

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Highlights: Farmed salmon are raised in open cages, thousands of them in a net-pen the size of a small house. Usually, a dozen or so of these pens are tethered together. The fish pass their feces right into the waters around them, contaminating the water with as much raw sewage as a town of 65,000.

See this at: eaquarium.org| Added on 12/16/06

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See this at: iatp.org| Added on 07/12/06

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Highlights: According to estimates by EPA scientists, 16 percent of U.S. women of childbearing age have a mercury "body burden" putting their unborn children at risk for developmental disabilities.

See this at: iatp.org| Added on 07/12/06

To find the "safe" level of consumption, based on EPA health guidelines: Enter your body weight in pounds:

To find the "safe" level of consumption, based on EPA health guidelines: Enter your body weight in pounds: See less

Highlights: Select the species of fish you eat:

See this at: actionnetwork.org| Added on 12/16/06

Salmon is perhaps the most popular type of fish raised in sea farms, but did you know that current farming practices pose several problems for the environment and public health?

Salmon is perhaps the most popular type of fish raised in sea farms, but did you know that current farming practices pose several problems for the environment and public health? See less

See this at: puresalmon.org| Added on 12/16/06

Our oceans are in trouble. Uncontrolled fishing has brought many species to the brink of extinction, while pollution from farms, cities, and factories is making other commercially important seafood unsafe to eat.

Our oceans are in trouble. Uncontrolled fishing has brought many species to the brink of extinction, while pollution from farms, cities, and factories is making other commercially important seafood unsafe to eat. See less

See this at: news.independent.co....| Added on 11/05/06

All wild seafood will have disappeared from the world's menus within 50 years if current trends in overfishing continue according to one of the most comprehensive studies of marine life. The apocalyptic warning is issued by a team of ecologists and... See more

All wild seafood will have disappeared from the world's menus within 50 years if current trends in overfishing continue according to one of the most comprehensive studies of marine life. The apocalyptic warning is issued by a team of ecologists and economists from a dozen research centres who have studied detailed records on fish catches going back to 1950. Their comprehensive study, published today by the journal Science, found the number of commercial fisheries that have collapsed was accelerating and that the total eradication of all fish stocks in the world is due to be completed by 2048. "Unless we fundamentally change the way we manage all the oceans species together, as working ecosystems, then this century is the last century of wild seafood," said Steve Palumbi of Stanford University, one of the study's authors. The four-year research project is the first to analyse all the existing data that has been gathered on marine fish and other ocean species as well as the ecosystems in... See less

Highlights: "Unless we fundamentally change the way we manage all the oceans species together, as working ecosystems, then this century is the last century of wild seafood," said Steve Palumbi of Stanford University, one of the study's authors

See this at: worldwatch.org| Added on 11/13/06

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Highlights: The world’s beleaguered fish populations have found an unlikely ally: seafood eaters, according to a new Worldwatch study by Brian Halweil, a senior researcher and globally recognized food expert. From Chinese universities that refuse to serve shark fin soup, to U.S. supermarkets that...

See this at: montereybayaquarium....| Added on 07/05/06

Just a few simple actions on your part can help change the seafood buying practices of friends and businesses in your community.

Just a few simple actions on your part can help change the seafood buying practices of friends and businesses in your community. See less

Highlights: By signing up for our Seafood Watch Advocates program, you promise to educate yourself and others about the importance of making sustainable seafood choices. You will...

See this at: nrdc.org| Added on 09/12/06

Until I decided to write the present piece, I thought I knew as much as I needed about the risk I faced from eating mercury-laden fish. I knew, for instance, that mercury -- which passes easily from mother to child in utero and through breast milk --... See more

Until I decided to write the present piece, I thought I knew as much as I needed about the risk I faced from eating mercury-laden fish. I knew, for instance, that mercury -- which passes easily from mother to child in utero and through breast milk -- is a neurotoxin that can damage the developing brain. I also thought I knew that I, personally, had nothing to worry about, as I eat very little fish that's high in mercury and don't plan to have more kids. I have been chastened. Surprise #1: My mercury exposure has been above the level considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency for three of the past four weeks, according to NRDC's mercury calculator. (This is just an estimate based on averages, not a measurement of my actual exposure, which would require that I be tested.) It wasn't that I overindulged. There was only one week when I ate fish more than once (ironically, my "safe" week), and my portions were all moderate in size. The problem is with the fish I chose to eat --... See less

See this at: ewg.org| Added on 07/12/06

Seven of ten farmed salmon purchased at grocery stores in Washington DC, San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon were contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at levels that raise health concerns, according to independent laboratory tests... See more

Seven of ten farmed salmon purchased at grocery stores in Washington DC, San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon were contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at levels that raise health concerns, according to independent laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group. These first-ever tests of farmed salmon from U.S. grocery stores show that farmed salmon are likely the most PCB-contaminated protein source in the U.S. food supply. On average farmed salmon have 16 times the dioxin-like PCBs found in wild salmon, 4 times the levels in beef, and 3.4 times the dioxin-like PCBs found in other seafood. The levels found in these tests track previous studies of farmed salmon contamination by scientists from Canada, Ireland, and the U.K. In total, these studies support the conclusion that American consumers nationwide are exposed to elevated PCB levels by eating farmed salmon. PCBs are persistent, cancer-causing chemicals that were banned in the United States in 1976 and... See less

Highlights: To reduce your exposure to PCBs, trim fat from fish before cooking. Also, choose broiling, baking, or grilling over frying, as these cooking methods allow the PCB-laden...

See this at: worldwatch.org| Added on 10/11/06

Salmon farms can pass fatal infections of sea lice to young salmon in the wild, according to a study published October 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ...

Salmon farms can pass fatal infections of sea lice to young salmon in the wild, according to a study published October 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ... See less

See this at: farmedanddangerous.o...| Added on 07/12/06

There are presently over 85 open net cage fish farms currently operating in the coastal waters of British Columbia producing waste that is equivalent in volume to the raw sewage released from a city of 500,000 inhabitants. It could get a lot worse if... See more

There are presently over 85 open net cage fish farms currently operating in the coastal waters of British Columbia producing waste that is equivalent in volume to the raw sewage released from a city of 500,000 inhabitants. It could get a lot worse if industry is allowed to add new farms.Learn More... See less

Highlights: Our list of FARMED SALMON FREE restaurants is consistently growing. Support those restaurants working to make their menus sustainable by saying no to farmed salmon until...

See this at: primeseafood.com| Added on 07/12/06

salmon sold as wild by eight New York City stores, going for as much as $29 a pound, showed that the fish at six of the eight were farm raised. Farmed salmon, available year round, sells for $5 to $12 a pound in the city. For shoppers, said David... See more

salmon sold as wild by eight New York City stores, going for as much as $29 a pound, showed that the fish at six of the eight were farm raised. Farmed salmon, available year round, sells for $5 to $12 a pound in the city. For shoppers, said David Pasternack, the chef and an owner at Esca, a theater district fish restaurant, buying authentic wild salmon "is like a crapshoot." See less

Highlights: Officials at Craft Technologies said that a sample from Whole Foods Market in Chelsea ($14.99) seemed to show that the fish had been farmed at one time and had escaped into the wild. Storms or holes in the netting are some of the opportunities that fish exploit to make a break for it....

See this at: farmedanddangerous.o...| Added on 07/12/06

The Farmed and Dangerous markets project has been designed to educate consumers about the risks associated with open net cage salmon farming, and then help you communicate your concerns directly to industry in the form of refusing to buy farmed... See more

The Farmed and Dangerous markets project has been designed to educate consumers about the risks associated with open net cage salmon farming, and then help you communicate your concerns directly to industry in the form of refusing to buy farmed salmon and taking actions such as participating in letter writing campaigns and attending days of action. See less

Highlights: No one has been able to make the salmon farming industry act responsibly. Back in 1996 the provincial environmental assessment office conducted an environmental review of the salmon farming industry and came up with 49 recommendations. Despite a commitment from the provincial government...

See this at: dir.salon.com| Added on 07/12/06

salmon farmers keep costs down by feeding their stock cheaper fish meal, producing salmon with grayish flesh, some grocery stores have been known to sell dyed fish to fit consumer expectations of what salmon should look like.

salmon farmers keep costs down by feeding their stock cheaper fish meal, producing salmon with grayish flesh, some grocery stores have been known to sell dyed fish to fit consumer expectations of what salmon should look like. See less

Highlights: "They're so confined that they're essentially stewing in their own feces," says Don Coleman, 42, from Berkeley, Calif., a volunteer from the nonprofit Friends of the River. Another good protest tactic: grossing out the would-be fish-buyer.

See this at: fishinghurts.com| Added on 07/05/06

Commercial fishing is wiping out biodiversity, as miles of nets sweep up all the fish in their path—and take coral habitats with them. Commercial fishers have devastated the ocean’s ecosystem to the extent that large fish populations are only 10... See more

Commercial fishing is wiping out biodiversity, as miles of nets sweep up all the fish in their path—and take coral habitats with them. Commercial fishers have devastated the ocean’s ecosystem to the extent that large fish populations are only 10 percent of what they were in the 1950s. Click here to learn more about commercial fishing. See less

Highlights: Fishing hurts! Fish may not be cute and cuddly like puppies and kittens, but they suffer and experience pain in very much the same way.

See this at: cnn.com| Added on 07/05/06

(CNN) -- A new global study concludes that 90 percent of all large fishes have disappeared from the world's oceans in the past half century, the devastating result of industrial fishing.

(CNN) -- A new global study concludes that 90 percent of all large fishes have disappeared from the world's oceans in the past half century, the devastating result of industrial fishing. See less

Highlights: The study, which took 10 years to complete and was published in the international journal Nature this week, paints a grim picture of the Earth's current populations of...

See this at: newscientist.com| Added on 07/05/06

collapse by 2010, reveals the first comprehensive survey of the entire ocean's fishery. "We'll all be eating jellyfish sandwiches," says Reg Watson, a fisheries scientist at the University of British Columbia. Putting new ocean-wide management plans... See more

collapse by 2010, reveals the first comprehensive survey of the entire ocean's fishery. "We'll all be eating jellyfish sandwiches," says Reg Watson, a fisheries scientist at the University of British Columbia. Putting new ocean-wide management plans into place is the only way to reverse the trend, Watson and his colleagues say. North Atlantic catches have fallen by half since 1950, despite a tripling of the effort put into catching them. The total number of fish in the ocean has fallen even further, they say, with just one sixth as many high-quality "table fish" like cod and tuna as there were in 1900. Fish prices have risen six fold in real terms in 50 years. The shortage of table fish has forced a switch to other species. "The jellyfish sandwich is not a metaphor - jellyfish is being exported from the US," says Daniel Pauly, also at the University of British Columbia. "In the Gulf of Maine people were catching cod a few decades ago. Now they're catching sea cucumber. By earlier... See less

Highlights: But government subsidies actually encourage overfishing, Watson says, with subsidies totalling about $2.5 billion a year in the North Atlantic.

See this at: eurekalert.org| Added on 07/05/06

Oxygen depletion in the world's oceans, primarily caused by agricultural run-off and pollution, could spark the development of far more male fish than female, thereby threatening some species with extinction, according to a study published today on... See more

Oxygen depletion in the world's oceans, primarily caused by agricultural run-off and pollution, could spark the development of far more male fish than female, thereby threatening some species with extinction, according to a study published today on the Web site of the American Chemical Society journal, Environmental Science & Technology. See less

Highlights: Ocean 'dead zones' trigger sex changes in fish, posing extinction threat

See this at: timesonline.co.uk| Added on 07/05/06

THE world’s coral reefs could disappear within a few decades along with hundreds of species of plankton and shellfish, according to new studies into man’s impact on the oceans. Researchers have found that carbon dioxide, the gas already blamed for... See more

THE world’s coral reefs could disappear within a few decades along with hundreds of species of plankton and shellfish, according to new studies into man’s impact on the oceans. Researchers have found that carbon dioxide, the gas already blamed for causing global warming, is also raising the acid levels in the sea. The shells of coral and other marine life dissolve in acid. The process is happening so fast that many such species, including coral, crabs, oysters and mussels, may become unable to build and repair their shells and will die out, say the researchers. See less

Highlights: “Increased carbon dioxide emissions are making the world’s oceans more acidic and could cause a mass extinction of marine life similar to the one that...

See this at: motherjones.com| Added on 07/05/06

MJ: What species of fish are contaminated there? SF: Surf perch and striped bass are the main two that we’re warning folks about. In the Delta area, it’s the channel catfish. Another one that has high levels of mercury is the white croaker; the... See more

MJ: What species of fish are contaminated there? SF: Surf perch and striped bass are the main two that we’re warning folks about. In the Delta area, it’s the channel catfish. Another one that has high levels of mercury