Mercury in thresher shark meat harmful to humans

CEBU, Philippines - Aside from the fact that catching it is prohibited, eating Thresher shark meat can be harmful to humans.

In a research conducted by international organization SharkProject, sharks accumulate all the toxins ingested from other contaminated fish.

Mercury, which is a persistent toxin, keeps building at every increasing concentration on the way up the food chain.

“For this reason, sharks can have levels of mercury in their bodies that are 10, 000 times higher than their surrounding environment... Sharks at the top of the marine food chain are the final depots of all poisons of the seas and methyl mercury is one of the biologically most active and most dangerous poisons to humans,” the group’s report reads.

The report also lists the kinds of fish with the highest levels of methyl mercury, including Thresher, Mako and Dogfish Sharks.

SharkProject explained that mercury makes its way into the shark through the process of bio-accumulation.

“Methyl mercury is formed from inorganic mercury by microorganisms that live in all oceans,lakes, and streams… This highly toxic substance accumulates in the food chain in the tissues of fish at every increasing concentration. In the tissues of big and long-lived aquatic predators, enormous amounts of this toxin are accumulated,” the report reads.

If mercury is ingested, it can result to developmental disorders of the brain and the peripheral nervous system, severe damage to kidneys and mutations, the research adds.

The group pointed out that the National Academy of Science in the United States estimates that around 60,000 children in the US alone are born each year with neurological damage caused by methyl mercury exposure during pregnancy.

Last Wednesday in Naga City, Cebu, An Isuzu elf truck loaded with almost 500 kilos of thresher shark meat was intercepted by the Capitol’s Anti-illegal Fishing Task Force.

The truck reportedly belongs to Tirso’s Fish Food Products, a firm in Lapu-Lapu City that produces fish balls and tempuras.

The seized sharks were buried in a compost pit at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

The FREEMAN has tried contacting the owner of the company but our calls were left unanswered. — (FREEMAN)