Toxic dangers from the deep

www.smh.com.au - by Caroline Marcus

Australians are eating imported fish that have not been tested for harmful toxins, consumer advocate Choice warns.

Authorities test only 5 per cent of fish arriving from abroad.

In a report released today, Choice calls for Australians to have similar protection as in the US, where national regulator the Food and Drug Administration tests all shipments of certain farmed fish species from China. It says the US repeatedly finds banned chemicals, including fungicides and antibiotics, in imported fish.

"Fish found by our authorities to be contaminated are rejected, however 95 per cent of imports are not routinely tested nor is domestically produced seafood," Choice spokesman Christopher Zinn said. "We feel Australians deserve better."

Food Standards Australia New Zealand found 16 per cent of domestically farmed fish and 17 per cent of imported farmed fish contain the fungicide malachite green, a chemical used in a farming to prevent disease and parasites.

Large fish such as swordfish, marlin and shark can contain mercury at levels that harm small children and pregnant women, not to mention being harvested unsustainably, the report found.
Mr Zinn said consumers were getting mixed messages, being told by government and health authorities to eat more fish because of its health benefits.

Yet aside from the health risks, about two-thirds of fish species are overfished by Australian fisheries, a report by the Australian Government Bureau of Rural Sciences found.

Choice has called for the next revision of the Australian Dietary Guidelines to consider the impact of fishing practices, saying labels should be more clearly detailed in terms of where seafood came from and how it was caught.

To help consumers make better choices about buying fish, the Australian Marine Conservation Society has released a guide with a colour-coded table. Fish marked red means "say no", orange is "think twice" and green is "better choice".

Greg Doyle, from Pier at Rose Bay, said his restaurant used only Australian fish because he believed imported seafood was usually "substandard".

"I don't quite understand why there is a lot of overseas, imported, frozen product on supermarket shelves and that sort of thing, when people can go and buy local, fresh-caught product, which is far superior and would be more supportive of local industry."

The chef of Balmoral's Bottom Of The Harbour Seafoods Cafe and Bistro, James Fairall, said 90 per cent of the fish he used were Australian.

"I am a little bit wary about seafood from China," he said.

"If it was mandatory that everything got tested then it would stop people trying to send us whatever they don't want - the fish that the rest of the world rejects.

"I am a chef and I am quite ignorant of any harmful nature of imported seafood, so what chance does the consumer have?"

National Aquaculture Council chief executive Simon Bennison questioned Choice's right to speak out on the industry.

"When did Choice become experts in the issue of sustainable fisheries?" he said. "They need to be awfully careful because Australian fisheries are well managed."

Food Standards Australia New Zealand spokeswoman Lydia Buchtmann said a number of imported seafoods on the high-risk list would be tested more regularly.

"Consumers should be confident that seafood is safe in Australia," Ms Buchtmann said.

"If something is picked up by the enforcement agencies then of course action is taken but that is rare."