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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 17 



of inspcctional systems to accommodate newer methodologies and to train personnel 

 in their apphcation. Emphasis on purely sensory evaluation should be decreased. 



Problems of interagency jurisdiction, unclear regulations, or poor cooperation 

 among state and federal agencies should be addressed and rectifled. This will require 

 added resources. 



Characteristics of Control Requiremenu 



Control measures should be applied initially at the earliest stage of seafood 

 production by monitoring of water quality and condition. Such measures would apply 

 to the molluscan shellfish problem and to most natural toxins and chemical 

 contaminants, and would permit the exclusion of potentially dangerous fish or shellfish 

 from markets by fishing closures and use of advisories. Rapid and simple tests should 

 be developed and used to screen potentially hazardous fish or shellfish at the point of 

 harvest to reduce costs to the fishermen and to protect the consumer from toxins and 

 dangerous contaminants. Postharvest control seems likely to be most readily achieved 

 through an HACCP-based system focusing on cross-contamination, temperature control, 

 and the effectiveness of handling and processing methods designed to inhibit or destroy 

 microorganisms. This system must be based on safety considerations, not solely on 

 quality. 



The extent of chemical contamination of seafood species is both species and 

 region dependent. A few chemicals such as mercury have strong species associations 

 (e.g., swordfish). The concentrations of most organic chemicals tend to be less species 

 associated and more dependent on geographic region. Within aquatic organisms, 

 bjoaccumulaiion may be organ specific or related to fat concentrations (e.g., 

 methylmercury in muscle tissues and PCBs in fatty tissues). 



Improvement of the total data base on chemical contamination of fish could 

 enable regulatory agencies to target their efforts on particular species of fish in 

 specifically defined areas and, thus, lead to considerable mitigation of individual and 

 societal health risks with minimal economic effects. Improvement of the data base 

 could also enable consumers, especially subsistence and sport fishers, to select the least 

 toxic fish in their waters for consumption. Clearly, however, chemical contamination 

 is ultimately a problem of environmental degradation due to waste dumping that can 

 be solved only by the development of systems to reduce chemical disposal in fresh and 

 marine waters and in the atmosphere. TTie improvement of environmental quality will 

 mean safer fish. 



The effectiveness of current fishing controls and consumer/fisher information 

 programs in geographic areas with greater-than-average contamination problems is 

 uncertain. Unfortunately, contaminated areas may be pocketed within broader fishing 

 grounds, and the precise distribution of relatively high residue levels may be difficult 

 to determine. In areas such as the Great Lakes, steps have been taken to prevent the 

 commercial distribution of fish that have contaminants exceeding established tolerance 

 or action levels. However, the adequacy of some regulatory levels is open to question 

 in light of newly available information (see Chapter 6), and the degree of protection 

 afforded the substantial population of consumers of sport caught fish by advisories 

 based on those tolerance/action levels is even more doubtful. 



