The report issued today by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) states that trace amounts of methyl mercury can be found throughout our ecosystem, including in multiple species of fish. The report mentions government advisories informing consumers which fish to eat and in what quantities. However, we hope that the NWF did not inadvertently contribute to growing public confusion about fish consumption by not also listing the abundance of low-mercury fish like canned tuna that consumers can safely enjoy.

Importantly, for example, the report did not distinguish between species of tuna found in canned tuna, and tuna as a whole, thereby ignoring a well-known fact that the smaller and younger the fish, the less mercury it contains. Canned tuna is comprised of fish that are both smaller and younger than the species of tuna named in the report, and thus a safe and nutritious part of a healthy diet.

The nutritional benefits of fish—including canned tuna—are well established. Leading health organizations have urged Americans to make fish an essential part of their diet, and in 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency issued a new seafood advisory informing pregnant women and new and expecting mothers how they can receive the benefits of fish while reducing their exposure to mercury levels.

The FDA/EPA guidelines were solely intended for women who are or might become pregnant, women who are nursing and young children, and inform them that they can eat up to 12 ounces of chunk light and 6 ounces of albacore tuna per week. The guidelines do not apply to the vast majority of the American public.

Recent data, including a study from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, shows confusion not only among the narrow population to whom the advisory is directed, but also among the great majority of consumers to whom the advisory does not even apply. As a consequence, consumers from all parts of the population may be needlessly avoiding fish because of misinformation or out of confusion. The U.S. Tuna Foundation believes that this confusion—fueled in part by reports that discuss potential risks of eating fish yet fail to mention any of its proven and significant health benefits—has needlessly scared American consumers away from fish like canned tuna that are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids and low-fat, high-quality protein.

It is not necessary to frighten people away from an important healthy food source — which most fish undoubtedly are — in order to responsibly urge action toward a cleaner environment. The USTF is committed to working with the NWF and all others to ensure that the American people can have both simultaneously.

• 
• printer-friendly version
• 
• email to a friend