Seafood Advisories: Seafood Industry Response

1. Seafood Advisories: Seafood Industry Response Bob Collette, National Fisheries Institute Presented at Seafood: Assessing the Benefits and Risks Cook College, New Brunswick, NJ

2. Dickens Said it Best: • “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” – A Tale of Two Cities

3. The Best of Times • The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish per week • The National Inst. Of Health NHLBI supports dietary guidance about fish and CVD • NHLBI’s Adult Treatment Panel supports AHA’s recommendation that fish be part of a heart-disease risk-reduction diet

4. The Epoch of Belief FDA/EPA Fish Advisory, March 2004: “Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthy diet. Fish and shellfish contain high-quality protein and other essential nutrients, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty acids. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fish and shellfish can contribute to heart health and children’s proper growth and development. So, women and young children in particular should include fish or shellfish in their diets due to the many nutritional benefits.”

5. The Epoch of Incredulity • “Absolutely, I would avoid all fish.” • “if [alcohol and tobacco] are harmful and require labels, then so should fish.” • “I will not introduce tuna to my kids’ diets.” --FDA Focus Group Comments, 2003-2004

6. Alzheimer’s Cancer Premature Birth Asthma Neurodev/ADHD Arthritis Depression The Spring of HopeCurrent & future N-3 Benefits

7. The Spring of HopeCurrent & future N-3 Benefits • Enormous body of science showing fish and N-3 fatty acids reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

8. The Winter of Despair • Farmed salmon higher in PCBs • 300,000 babies at risk from mercury • Pregnant women advised not to eat RTE smoked fish due to Listeria

9. Communications Challenges • Narrowly targeted audience v. mass media • Complex science • Diverse agendas • Resources

10. Communications Challenges • Narrowly targeted audience v. mass media

13. Complex Science—Putting the Risk in Perspective • 300,000 babies at risk nationwide • Based on EPA Reference Dose (RfD) for mercury (RfD a level of exposure over time believed to be without risk) • Calculates from a CDC study the number of women in childbearing years with blood mercury levels that exceed the RfD and who might become pregnant.

14. Risk and the Rfd • EPA/FDA: Rfd not a “bright line” between safe & unsafe • 10 X safety (uncertainty) factor • 300,000 women on average about 8 X below predicted affects level • Media interprets as over Rfd = affected • Result-- Consumers eschew all seafood in fear

15. MERCURY COVERAGE 2004

17. U.S. TUNA SALES4-Wk periods compared to year ago

18. HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL:Industry Actions • NYT, WSJ Op-Eds • News Releases/ Website • Interviews • Partnerships • Research • Understanding the risk • Mitigating the risk • Risk Comparisons

19. MORE TO BE DONE • Encourage gov’t to conduct targeted education campaign • Doctors and Health Professionals who provide medical services and advice to women and young children • Risk-based programs at harvest, growing and processing points to reduce contamination • E.g. Farmed salmon

20. Conclusion • Fish is not tobacco or alcohol • Fish has know benefits to adults and children • Government, health professionals, media and industry must work together to assure dissemination of proactive effective and targeted information to consumers