NY Times on seafood and mercury 10/17/07

[Guest guest]

I thought it likely that money was behind the recent report recommending that pregnant woman eat fish, but it is amazing how cheaply these people were bought. For those interested in learning more about nutrition, see highlighted section below. Margaret******************* The Wednesday, October 17, Dining section of the New York Times (pg F5) includes an article on mercury in fish, by Marian Burros, headed, "Industry Money Fans Debate on Fish." It opens:"Many health advocates were surprised earlier this month when a children's health coalition that includes federal agencies and professional medical associations contradicted government warnings about mercury contamination and recommended that women of childbearing age eat more fish. "Since then several coalition members have renounced the findings, some criticizing the

coalition's leadership for taking thousands of dollars from the fishing industry to promote the recommendations. The coalition's leaders did not present the recommendations to its members before releasing them."The organization, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, announced on Oct. 4 that women of childbearing age should eat at least 12 ounces of seafood each week, including tuna and mackerel, which can have high levels of mercury. "Since 2004, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have recommended that such women eat no more than 12 ounces of fish a week, including no more than 6 ounces of canned albacore tuna, and avoid swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and shark because they are high in mercury, which most scientists say is harmful to fetuses and young children."We learn that "the coalition acknowledged that a member of the Maternal Nutrition Group... had gotten the National Fisheries

Institute to provide $1,000 honoraria to each of the group's 14 members, with an extra $500 each to the group's four executive committee members." And, "The National Fisheries Institute also gave the coalition $60,000 for its education campaign." The article also tells us that the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller, which publicized the findings, also represents the fisheries institute. Further, a managing director of that public relations firm, which represents the fisheries institute, is the vice chairman of the coalition.The chairman of the nutrition committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a member of the coalition, has commented, "We are appalled." We read that his organization does not believe the new advice is backed up by the preponderance of science and that he judges the payment for the report by the National Fisheries Institute to be "a real conflict of interest."We learn that other members of the coalition have "also

disavowed the findings."Julie Zawisza, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration is quoted, standing by the agency's warnings about mercury in seafood: ''We think we are pretty much aware of everything that is out there in terms of scientific studies and data, and we haven't seen any data that we believe would support a change in our current recommendations.''A senior scientist with the E.P.A. said the coalition's recommendation "has created an artificial controversy.''The enlightening article can be read in full on line at:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/dining/17fish.htmlIt comes on the heels of many reports on US television news that have touted the possible benefits of fish for pregnant women (despite EPA warnings) based on the coalition's report funded by the fish industry.The article offers a great opportunity for letters to the editor singing the praises of plant based diets and plant based sources of Omega 3s.

(Go to http://www.veganoutreach.org/health/stayinghealthy.html and click on "fats" to learn more.) The New York Times takes letters at lettersAlways include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Remember that shorter letters are more likely to be published.Please also write to your local media if you have seen the committee's finding publicized as fact. Don't hesitate to ask me for help if you have trouble finding contact information for your local media.Yours and the animals',Karen Dawn(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. You may forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts if you do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and

include this parenthesized tag line. If somebody forwards DawnWatch alerts to you, which you enjoy, please help the list grow by signing up. It is free.)To discontinue DawnWatch alerts go to http://www.DawnWatch.com/nothanks.php-------You are d to DawnWatch using the following address: dogs_goodDate: Wed Oct 17 22:23:21 2007