Seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is still safe to eat, despite oil spil
Despite the endless negative media output over the Gulf of Mexico oil leak, many journalists fail to acknowledge that seafood is still perfectly edible, despite the large amount of oil that has been deposited in the affected area. In reality, everyone who eats fish is taking a risk. There are all kinds of chemicals in our oceans, most of which originate from waste from landfill sites. For example, finfish are unable to absorb metals or other chemicals underwater. All seafood – from crabs, to oysters, to shrimp, finfish have been tested and no contamination has been found in their flesh. Despite this, seafood sales in the Louisiana area have fallen significantly, mostly due to the powerful impact that the media has made when reports of various sea animals covered in oil have been shown on the news.
The media should be emphasising that fish is still safe to consume in the region, in a bid to help the local economy recover from what has been a disastrous time for the fishing industry. All seafood that is sold commercially on the Louisiana coast faces strict tests; reports are then posted to the website of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries regularly. This department also provides useful diet advice concerning the amount of certain types of fish you should consume in a particular time period. Fishermen along the Gulf coast are advised to be extra careful when catching seafood – in particular they must watch out for any obvious oil residues and examine all fish carefully before selling them commercially.
Speaking of helping the environment, I have found some fantastic articles of things that everyone can do on the enigin PLC website to curb the global carbon footprint.
Comments are closed!