Bay Group calls for health advisory labeling of RAS salmon raised in mercury tainted waters

For Immediate release  12/12/19

Contact Ron Huber, 207 691-4634    Adrienne Caldwell 917 753-0563

Penobscot Bay activists call for health advisory labeling of RAS salmon raised in mercury tainted waters.

BUCKSPORT. Plans to grow market Atlantic salmon raised  from egg to harvest solely in water from mercury-contaminated waterbodies have raised concerns in Maine over potential dietary health risks for children and pregnant or nursing women.

In response, environmental group Friends of Penobscot Bay (BLOG) has written to the Maine Centers for Disease Control asking the state to develop an advisory label for salmon raised in recirculating aquaculture systems that use mercury tainted waters. Read letter here       

A recent report found Bucksport to be one of the most mercury polluted river towns in Maine.   While the state has strict mercury advisories on nearly all  Maine freshwater fishes,  and such saltwater species as striped bass, shark and swordfish, not so for RAS-farmed salmon.

FOPB noted that in the case of at least one project underway in Maine Whole Oceans LLC, salmon would  be raised  from egg to harvest in giant tanks filled with water piped continuously from  mercury tainted lower Penobscot River.  Ron Huber the group's  executive director  said that  "because of the real potential for significant mercury uptake by RAS tank farmed salmon exposed to these waters, we are asking  Maine Centers  for Disease Control  to expand its public health protections   by developing a warning label for salmon raised in any water that is considered polluted based on the court ordered of the Penobscot River Mercury Study."

 FOPB river coordinator Adrienne Caldwell, of Bucksport, said, “unlike wild salmon and open ocean net-pen salmon, RAS fishes raised solely in facilities that use water from upper Penobscot Bay or the lower Penobscot River will spend their entire lives swimming in and breathing waters known to have elevated mercury levels." 

"Let's be precautionary" she said. "Whole Ocean's claim that Recirculating Aquaculture Systems reduce mercury concentrations isn't good enough."

 Huber summarized the Whole Oceans project as  "in the wrong place at the right time. Yes," he said, " Land-Based Recirculating \Aquaculture is a growth agribiz, but no, the mercury tainted Penobscot estuary is not the place for it to grow."

" I mean, really?" he added. " Pick the most mercury-fouled river in the United States as water supply for your salmon tank farm startups?  If consumers knew, he added "they would be reluctant to buy salmon from that company,

Caldwell wondered "What were they thinking?".

The Friends of Penobscot Bay will be hosting a number of educational field events in the mercury contaminated area.

SUMMARY 
Maine currently has mercury health advisories for  nearly all fishes captured in Maine lakes and ponds, for striped bass, shark and swordfish, and an outright ban on lobstering and crabbing in the lower Penobscot River, due to significant mercury pollution of the waters and sediments.

   Currently, commercial raised atlantic salmon are considered low in mercury. due to the natural flushing activation of the  bays where net pens salmon farms are operated .   Friends of Penobscot Bay's proposal would add an  special advisory for salmon grown in tanks filled with such mercury impacted waters.  The label would recommend zero consumption of such tank-raised fishes by children under eight, or pregnant or nursing mothers - the same as for other fishes living in those waters.

The advisory labels would be required for
* Wholesale salmon distributors' invoices from a RAS facility with such challenges,
* Retail & online outlets where said fish is sold fresh, frozen or processed,
* Advertisements and commercials promoting salmon from that facility.

Friends of Penobscot Bay

People Who Care About Maine's Biggest Bay

POB 1971 Rockland ME 04841  FB: /penobscotbay