Friday, October 2, 2009

Oceana Kicks Off National Campaign Asking Grocers to Warn Shoppers of Mercury in Seafood

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Savitz said that Oceana is neither campaigning to take fish off of supermarket shelves nor telling people to stop eating fish, but rather trying to give consumers the information they need to make an informed decision on what is best for themselves and their families.

“It’s OK to eat low-mercury fish in moderation, but most people have no idea what to avoid, which can result in serious health problems. This ‘buyer beware’ attitude is not acceptable when it comes to our kids, and customers agree. Signs on seafood counters and tuna shelves are a sensible solution,” said Savitz.

A scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that one in six pregnant American women has enough mercury in her blood to pose neurological risks to her developing baby. Although it is particularly damaging to developing fetuses, who become contaminated when the mother has high levels of mercury in her system, toxic mercury also poses health risks to adults. Studies show that high mercury levels can cause neurological damage and memory loss, increase the risk of heart attack, and lead to several other health problems.

Oceana’s campaign will not only inform the public about the dangers of consuming tuna, swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish, it will also help solve the problem by reducing mercury pollution at its source. In January, Oceana released Poison Plants, a report that exposed six U.S. chlorine manufacturing companies as major mercury polluters. Oceana’s goal is to convert the last mercury-based chlorine factories to readily available, mercury-free technology, which 90 percent of the industry already uses.

Actress/Supermodel Amber Valletta to Serve as Campaign Spokesperson

Amber Valletta, fresh off the hit movie Hitch with Will Smith and star of the upcoming films Transporter 2, Man About Town and Silent, announced today that she will become the spokesperson for Oceana’s Seafood Contamination Campaign, a decision prompted by the mercury-poisoning experience of a friend and the fact that she is a young mother.

“When the effects of mercury-poisoned seafood strike this close to home, it makes you want to do something about it,” Valletta said. “I am happy to help Oceana give young women the information they need to make informed choices about the food they buy to feed their families, and to help in their campaign to stop mercury pollution at the source.”

Savitz welcomed the increased visibility among women of childbearing age that having the supermodel as a spokesperson will bring Oceana’s campaign.

“Amber knows firsthand about the need to make government warnings about mercury more widely known, and we’re thrilled that she has decided to help us take our message to a broader audience,” said Savitz.

For more information about Oceana’s Seafood Contamination Campaign, visit www.oceana.org/mercury.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Ranger Arrives in Mediterranean

Concluding a six-month expedition that began in California, Oceana’s catamaran Ranger arrived today at its new home port of Majorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands, a strategically advantageous point... Read More

Friday, October 2, 2009

West Coast Seafloor Protected from Bottom Trawling

-- In an historic move for our nation’s fisheries, the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted unanimously today to adopt Oceana’s Approach to managing the seafloor off of Washington,... Read More

Friday, October 2, 2009

Saving the Most Expensive Fish on Earth

Oceana and five other groups today asked Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez to ban commercial longline fishing fleets during three critical months each year from the Gulf of... Read More

Friday, October 2, 2009

Oceana to Test Fish For Mercury at Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo

WHAT: Oceana, the international ocean conservation organization and a sponsor of the 2005 Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, will:* work with recreational fishermen at the Rodeo to collect... Read More

Friday, October 2, 2009

Fishery Agency Proposal Puts Industry Profits Over Sea Turtle Survival

A proposed rule issued today by the National Marine Fisheries Service purports to resolve the problem of the injury and death of threatened and endangered sea turtles by... Read More

Friday, October 2, 2009

Americans Show Overwhelming Support for Protecting Seafloor Habitat

In a strong show of support for ocean protection, the National Marine Fisheries Service was flooded with nearly 50,000 postcards, faxes, letters, and e-mails from every state requesting... Read More