Press Releases
August 5, 2005
Oceana Applauds PPG’s Decision to Eliminate Mercury from Louisiana Chlorine Plant
-- Jackie Savitz, Pollution Campaign Director for the international ocean conservation group Oceana, which has been running a campaign to... Read More
August 4, 2005
Scientists, Oceana Demand Commerce Secretary Take Credible Action for Sea Turtle Protection
-- Oceana submitted a petition today that demands U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez take credible action to protect the six... Read More
July 13, 2005
Oceana to Test Hundreds of Fish for Mercury Contamination at Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo
-- Recreational anglers at this year’s 3,000-participant Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo will work with Oceana to test for mercury... Read More
July 11, 2005
Former OAS Chief Joins Oceana Board of Directors
-- Concluding a six-month expedition that began in California, Oceana’s catamaran Ranger arrived today at its new home port of... Read More
July 6, 2005
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.
" words="20" link="https://usa.oceana.org/press-releases/oceana-kicks-national-campaign-asking-grocers-warn-shoppers-mercury-seafood/"]June 28, 2005
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... Read More
June 15, 2005
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... Read More
