Press Releases
October 20, 2005
Television and film stars Ted Danson and Amber Valletta turned out today to help Oceana honor California Attorney General Bill... Read More
October 20, 2005
Dolphin Brigade Marches on Capitol Hill to Save Flipper
The Dolphin Brigade, a band of dolphin-costumed “lobbyists,” marched on Capitol Hill today to demand that Congress reject a proposal... Read More
September 28, 2005
ESA on Fast Track to Extinction
A developer-friendly bill that gives oil companies and other special interests an unchecked say on whether manatees, whales, sea turtles... Read More
September 28, 2005
Oceana Calls for Public Reporting on Mercury Status at PPG and Pioneer Chlorine Plants in Louisiana
Oceana today called on Pennsylvania-based PPG Industries and Texas-based Pioneer Americas to publicly report on the status of 1.2 million... Read More
September 15, 2005
Store-bought Fish in 22 States Tested for Mercury
A coalition of environmental groups led by Oceana and the Mercury Policy Project released the results of a major, 22-state... Read More
September 9, 2005
Congress Shows Bipartisan Support for Deep-sea Corals Protection Bill
Virgin thousand-year-old deep sea corals and sponges may be protected from being plowed under by commercial fishing practices from a... Read More
August 25, 2005
Consumers Flock to Supermarkets Nationwide Demanding Warning Signs for Mercury-Tainted Seafood
. The same poll, commissioned by Oceana and conducted in late 2004 by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, showed strong public backing for posting warning signs, with 86 percent of respondents supporting such a requirement.
“Apparently the FDA doesn’t want to publicize its own advice to the people who need it most: consumers,” said Savitz. “Commissioner Crawford says the FDA is doing enough to protect families from mercury in seafood. He will soon see that thousands of people across the country disagree and are willing to do their part to help educate others.”
“I have a 10 ½ month-old baby, and I had no idea about the mercury problem until I heard about it through Oceana,” said Doshia Mundy, a 39-year old secretary from Anniston, Alabama who personally delivered warning signs to 11 grocery stores in her area. “It really worries me thinking about how much fish we eat, and I doubt I’m the only person who doesn’t have all the information I need to make the right choices for my family.”
In early June, Oceana sent letters to several major grocery chains, including Safeway, Whole Foods, Costco, Wal-Mart, Albertsons, Trader Joe’s and Royal Ahold, owners of Giant and Stop-n-Shop, requesting that they post signs in their stores to help consumers make educated choices when buying mercury-contaminated seafood. To date, none have agreed to do so.
“Posting signs in grocery stores is a simple, inexpensive solution that fulfills our fundamental right to know what’s in the food we buy, especially when it may be harmful to our family’s health,” said Savitz.
A scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that one in six 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.
For more information about Oceana’s Seafood Contamination Campaign or to sign Oceana’s online petition to the FDA, visit www.oceana.org/mercury.
The poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research Dec. 8-12, 2004, had a sample size of 800 people representing each of the nation’s 50 states, and a margin of error of +/- 3.5 %.
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