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AS delegates gather in Santiago, Chile, for the 60th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission, EIA reveals that whale, dolphin and porpoise meat on sale in Japan contains toxic chemicals well above safe recommended levels making it unfit for human consumption.

© Clare Bass/EIA © David Sims/EIA

The two-year study found high pollution levels in numerous products sold nationwide; the most polluted dolphin product contained four times more methylmercury in just one meal than is safe for pregnant women to eat in a week, according to Japan’s own guidelines.

DNA and chemical analyses of 67 product samples by independent scientists contracted by the EIA found that 52 per cent exceeded the Japanese Government’s regulatory limits for either mercury, methylmercury or PCBs.

'Can be fatal'

Such pollutants can have serious adverse effects upon the human central nervous system, cause kidney, liver and brain damage, increase infertility and risk of heart disease and in severe cases, be fatal.

EIA is now urging the Japanese government to phase out all coastal whale, dolphin and porpoise hunts, starting with the dolphin hunts in southern Japan which produce the most toxic food products. Local assemblymen in Taiji, scene of the annual dolphin drive hunt, have already called for an end to the use of dolphin and pilot whale meat in school lunches over concerns about mercury.

EIA is also calling upon the government to prohibit the sale of products that contain or are suspected to contain small cetaceans (toothed whale, dolphins or porpoises). DNA analysis of the EIA samples showed that more than a quarter of products were not labelled with the correct species name.

Advice 'wholly inadequate'

Clare Perry, EIA’s Senior Cetacean Campaigner said: “All of the small cetacean products we tested exceeded the government’s own recommended levels – yet none were labelled with warnings to consumers about the dangerously high levels of mercury they contained. Advisories are still wholly inadequate and consumers often do not know exactly what they are buying.

“Legislation has existed in Japan for more than 30 years which calls for the removal of seafood products with far lower mercury levels than those found in our survey. These products put people, in particular unborn children, at real risk and should not be on the supermarket shelves.”

The Japanese Consumer Co-operative (JCCU) which runs the country’s many Co-Op Stores has criticised the inadequacy of the government’s food advice on mercury in seafood products.

EIA recommends that until coastal whale and dolphin hunts are phased out, all whale and dolphin products be labelled with health warnings; that pregnant women are warned not to eat any whale or dolphin products; and that emergency regional food safety advice be given to people in areas of high whale, dolphin and porpoise meat consumption.

Perry said: “The Government of Japan will be trying to legitimise its coastal whale hunting at the 60th IWC meeting. This report shows clearly that these hunts provide food which is recognised by that same government as unfit for human consumption – they need to be stopped.”

EIA also says Japan’s coastal cetacean hunting industry should be given compensation for the loss of their livelihoods.

‘Poisonous Policies’ the report on the findings will be distributed at the IWC meeting in Chile, this week.


Editor’s Notes:

*Many chemical pollutants are resistant to biological and physical degradation, and accumulate along food chains resulting in toxic concentrations. Top predators in aquatic food chains, including whales and dolphins, are especially at risk.
*The most notorious case is the poisoning of thousands of people in the Japanese coastal factory town of Minamata – resulting from years of mercury and chemical dumping into the ocean by the resident fertilizer and petro-chemical manufacturing company.
*Taiji City Councilman Junichiro Yamashita, distributed newsletters to Taiji residents warning them to avoid consuming toxic dolphin meat after test results revealed mercury and methylmercury levels 30 and 16 times higher than the regulatory levels set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
* According to news reports, Taiji plans to build a new $2.9 million dolphin slaughterhouse and spread the use of dolphin meat in schools.

For more information contact:

Clare Perry
Cetaceans Campaign
+34 (0) 971 510 046
+ 34 (0) 678 064 420 (mobile)
clareperry@eia-international.org

Jennifer Lonsdale, EIA Cetaceans Campaign
In Santiago:
+56 2 233 5000 (Room 460)
Mobile +44 (0) 7778 186785

For images & further information:

Stuart Coles
EIA UK Press Office
+44 (0) 207 354 7984
+44 (0) 7988 543 221
Stuartcoles@eia-international.org

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