Press Releases
August 23, 2005
Oceana: Record-breaking Bluefin Tuna has Sky-high Levels of Toxic Mercury
This summer’s amazing story about a record, 873-pound bluefin tuna caught off the coast of Delaware by a recreational angler... Read More
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
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 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 6, 2005
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... Read More
April 26, 2005
Americans Fed Up with Mercury Pollution by Chlorine Plants
An overwhelming majority of Americans want new technology and regulations applied to older chlorine plants to help eliminate mercury pollution,... Read More
April 14, 2005
Oceana Hails Federal Bill to Curb Cruise Ship Pollution
International ocean conservation group Oceana hailed the introduction of a bill in the U.S. Congress that would set strict pollution... Read More
