Greed yields misinformation

To the editor:

An Associated Press article in the Anchorage Daily News Jan. 15 reports that Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Communications Director Tyson Fick says that “ASMI have countered misinformation that Alaska Salmon contained mercury or PCBs” and refers us to the FDA saying, “FDA has found no evidence of dangerous Fukushima radiation in the U.S. food supply.”

What they do not report is that the FDA refuses to do any regular testing to find out what radioactive isotope concentrations actually exist in Alaska salmon. That may be why the FDA “has found no evidence!”

So, a private Seattle firm, Loki Fish Co., had its salmon tested in late 2013, and it is reported Jan. 17 at http://tinyurl.com/ly8y2wb that one sample had cesium-134, a marker that confirms contamination came from Fukushima Daiichi, due to its short half-life. Reported with detectable levels were Alaskan keta at 1.4bq/kg cesium-137 and Alaska pink at 1.2bq/kg cesium-134. Of course, these may be isolated cases, so this evidence calls for regular testing for radioactive isotope concentrations in seafood.

In an article by Don Whiteley, “Wild Alaska salmon isn’t as pure as advertised” published May 18, 2004 online at wfga.net/issues.php?ID=60 he comments that, “Commercial greed and gross mismanagement by government agencies have combined to destroy or diminish wild fish stocks all over the globe, including the West Coast salmon fishery.” He reported that Roger Berkowitz, president of Nor-Quest, said, “We are going to try and wean people off the farmed and onto the wild. I am a firm believer in wild product. Alaska wild salmon is the purest, most healthy and most environmentally sustainable — in short, the best there is.”

In response, Whiteley cleverly commented, “Carried to its logical, and absurd, conclusion, we should also demand an end to all chicken farms and cattle ranches so we can go back to eating deer, moose and wild pheasant.”

Indeed, Whiteley says, “32 parts per billion of PCBs were detected in B.C. farmed salmon in a study released last January. But, an independent study conducted in 1998 on behalf of the Circumpolar Conservation Union showed Copper River salmon with PCB levels exceeding 60 parts per billion.” That’s nearly twice the B.C. farmed salmon rate. In fact, most PCB contamination enters Alaska up its rivers in spawning salmon.

Of course, all these salmon had PCB levels well below the 2,000 ppb maximum allowable level before being considered a health problem. Nevertheless, it is not misinformation that Alaska salmon contains some PCBs, and may contain a small but increasing concentration of radioactive isotopes.

We deserve to be told the whole truth by our private professional entities and government agencies.

Daniel N. Russell, physicist

Willow