Mercury in fish rising.

[GbayGiant]

VANCOUVER (CBC) - Children and women of child-bearing age should be careful about how much fish they eat and what types because of the health risks from mercury contamination, according to an international report released Thursday.

 

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Mercury is a dangerous contaminant that can affect the heart, brain and immune system.

 

 

The Madison Declaration on Mercury Pollution summarizes the latest scientific knowledge about:

 

 

- Health risks and toxic effects of methylmercury, the form most people are exposed to from eating marine fish.

 

 

- Effects on wildlife.

 

 

- Socioeconomic consequences of mercury pollution.

 

 

- Recovery of fisheries contaminated with mercury.

 

 

Methylmercury now poses a public health problem in most regions of the world, and high levels of mercury have been found in people worldwide at all levels of society, the paper concluded.

 

 

When fetuses are exposed to the pollutant, it can affect a child's development - enough to justify the warning to be careful about what species of fish are eaten, the researchers said in Thursday's issue of the journal Ambio, published by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

 

 

New evidence suggests that exposure to methylmercury may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, particularly in men, the report said.

 

 

Recommend fish with fatty acids

 

 

The authors suggest that consumers look for fish with high levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and low levels of methylmercury.

 

 

Generally, larger predatory fish such as shark and albacore tuna tend to accumulate more of the pollutant than species further down the food chain like perch.

 

 

On average, three times more mercury is falling from the sky today than before the Industrial Revolution 200 years ago, the researchers said.

 

 

The concentration of methylmercury in fish could decline as pollution is curbed, but the rate of decline could vary depending on the ecosystem.

 

 

The researchers said they hope the documents will help spread the best science on the environmental problem to policymakers worldwide. It was based on the findings of the Eighth International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant that was held last August in the U.S.

[fishergirl72]

Thanks for the posting John, I read the same thing today. We eat fish but not as often as we would like so I don't think I have alot to worry about, I guess it is like everything else...." too much of anything is not good for you"

[Greencoachdog]

If the Mercury in the fish is rising... does that mean it's getting hotter?... must be all this Global Warming we keep hearing about!

[Mike the Pike]

Two many Mercury outboards on the water.Time to switch to another brand guys to cut down on Mercury polution.

 

#1 on the water!.....LOL

[Roy]

I saw on the news that wood fires are bad too. They cause lung cancer. At minus 20C and no wood fire in the house causes death...ummm difficult choice....

[BFSC Kevin]

well.. everything is bad for you.. coal.. nuclear... even the sun because of the solar radiation, possibly giving you skin cancer.

there are so many contaminants out there, the human body was strong, but because of their evolution in trying to make everything sterile and clean, they have protected them so much that even the smallest amount of poison will hurt them.

[GbayGiant]

I ate around 3-5 cans of tuna a day when I use to body build, can't even look at it anymore.

And the boybuilding days are over too, but it looks like I got a couple dozen walleyes in my gut.

 

Time to start eating that mercury again I think.

[Deano]

Well we all got to die sometimes, at least I'll die happy (with a belly full of fish).

[aplumma]

If you catch a fish and stick the nose in the snow the cold will draw the mercury to the head which you cut off..... yea OK I know it is bull**it but it is an old wives tale that got to be kept alive.

 

 

Art