HAWAII
SEAFOOD SAFETY
WILD-CAUGHT vs FARM RAISED
HAWAII SEAFOOD – PURE & NATURAL
NOAA FISHERIES
CURRENT FISHERY STATISTICS NO. 2016-2
IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF FISHERY PRODUCTS
ANNUAL SUMMARY, 2016
(REVISED 7/19/2017)
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/Assets/commercial/trade/Trade2016.pdf
U.S. imports of edible fishery products in 2016 were valued at $19.5
billion, up 3.5 percent from 2015. The quantity of edible imports was
2,628,178 metric tons, an increase of 25,487 tons (up 1.0 percent) from
the quantity imported in 2015.
The volume of shrimp imported in 2016 was 603,543 tons, an increase of
18,510 tons, or 3.2 percent, from the quantity imported in 2015. Shrimp
Imports were valued at $5.7 billion, an increase of $262 million (4.8
percent) from 2015. Shrimp imports accounted for 29.3 percent of the
value of total edible imports.
Imports of fresh and frozen salmon were 339,089 tons valued at $3.0
billion in 2016.
Imports of fresh and frozen tuna were 154,842 tons, down 28,772 tons
(15.7 percent) from 2015. The value of fresh and frozen tuna imports
declined by 4.7 percent to $957.1 million.
Imports of canned tuna were 132,598 tons, down 9,547 tons (6.7
percent) from 2015. The value of canned tuna imports also decreased,
dropping $52,610 million (9.1 percent) from 2015.
Imports of all fresh and frozen fillets and steaks amounted to
727,063 tons, an increase of 4,366 tons (0.6 percent) from 2015.
Total edible imports consisted of: 2,225,874 tons of fresh and frozen
products valued at $17.2 billion; 312,426 tons of canned products valued
at $1.6 billion; 45,902 tons of cured products valued at $314.2 million;
3,203 tons of caviar and roe products valued at $49.4 million; and 40,773
tons of other products valued at $221.3 million.

National Marine Fisheries Service
Fisheries Statistics and Economics Division
Trade Type: IMPORTS
Product: ALL PRODUCTS
From: 2015
Through: 2017
U.S. Customs District: HONOLULU, HI
Note: Current data through August, 2017.
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/pls/webpls/trade_district_allproducts.results?
qtype=IMP&qyearfrom=2015&qyearto=2017&qproduct=
%25&qdistrict=32&qsort=PRODUCT&qoutput=TABLE
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Here’s One More Reason To Be Scared Of Cheap Sushi
A new federal report warns that imported fish often contains dangerous drug residue
By Kirstin Downey. Honolulu Civil Beat. October 10, 2017
http://www.civilbeat.org/2017/10/heres-one-more-reason-to-be-scared-of-cheap-sushi/
Yamasaki [Lei Yamasaki, an aquaculture veterinary medical officer for the
Hawaii Department of Agriculture], said she only eats two kinds of
seafood — wild-caught fish from the ocean, and shrimp raised on local fish
farms. She said that people can be tempted by the low prices charged for
imported seafood, but that “cheaper products” can carry more risks.
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Which Is Better: Wild-Caught or Farmed Fish?
By Lea Basch, MD, RD. LivingStrong.com. October 3, 2017
https://www.livestrong.com/article/1011833-better-wildcaught-farmed-fish/
Both farmed-raised fish and wild-caught fish have pros and cons. The key
is to weigh the positives and negatives and make educated choices that
you can live with and line up with your health needs and values.

Wild-caught fish are often healthier, with less contamination from man-
made toxins because they feed on a natural diet of smaller fish and algae
and come into contact with less bacteria and parasites. The downside is
that many larger wild fish are high in mercury, and poor fishing methods
can harm the ocean habitat and result in overfishing.
Mercury is a naturally occurring toxic metal existing at low levels in air,
land and water that enters streams, rivers, lakes and oceans primarily
through rain and surface water runoff. It’s converted by bacteria to
methylmercury, a form dangerous to humans.
The only way to limit mercury from wild-caught fish is to avoid larger fish
that have eaten smaller mercury-containing fish. So avoid king mackerel,
swordfish, marlin, bluefin tuna and orange roughy.
Farm-raised fish can have more contamination from toxic industrial
chemicals, such as PBCs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and dioxins. They’re
often raised in crowded conditions and contain higher rates of bacteria,
pesticides, artificial coloring, antibiotics and parasites. The good news is
that many farmed fish are now grown in a way that’s better for the
environment and healthier for us.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Wild-caught choices that are high in omega-3 fats and low in mercury
• Wild salmon (Pacific Northwest and Alaska)
• Halibut (Pacific)
• Anchovies (Adriatic Sea)
• Sardines (Pacific)
• Mackerel (Atlantic)
Wild shrimp and prawns from the U.S. (avoid imported)
• Canned light tuna and skipjack tuna (contain a third the mercury
compared to chunk white or albacore)
• Sea scallops (U.S. and Canada)

Farm-raised choices that use healthy systems
• Tilapia from the U.S. or Ecuador (avoid imported from other countries)
• Arctic char (worldwide)
• Oysters (worldwide)
• Mussels (worldwide)
• Clams (worldwide)
• Rainbow trout (all, U.S.)
• Halibut (Atlantic)
• Coho salmon (worldwide)
• Bay scallops (worldwide)
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How to Buy the Right Shrimp (and Why It Matters)
By Eating Well
Huffington Post. September 14, 2011, accessed October 112, 2017
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/eatingwell/how-to-buy-the-right-shrimp_b_898454.html
Most shrimp are plentiful and reproduce quickly. But whether they are
sustainably farmed or harvested is the big question. Both wild-caught and
farm-raised shrimp can damage the surrounding ecosystems when not
managed properly. Trawling for wild-caught shrimp can result in by-
catch (other species that are caught in fisherman’s nets) and cause
damage to ocean floors. Issues with farm-raised shrimp include pollution,
disease and escape.
The U.S. has strict regulations on farming and trawling so fortunately, it is
possible to buy shrimp that have been raised or caught with sound
environmental practices. (See Tip 3 below for advice on what to look for
to buy the most sustainable shrimp.)

Tip 3. Look for Certifications. Look for shrimp certified by an independent
agency, such as Wild American Shrimp or the Marine Stewardship
Council, which certifies that wild fisheries are well-managed and
sustainable. Or look for the Best Aquaculture Practices label, which is for
farmed (not wild) shrimp, raised without antibiotics and in conditions
that exceed local environmental regulations. Plants that process the fish
employ safe-packaging practices to reduce risk of foodborne illnesses.
Only farms prohibiting practices that harm natural habitats are eligible for
the label. The label is regulated through site inspections and audits
implemented by the nonprofit Aquaculture Certification Council to ensure
that farms and processing plants meet environmental and safety
standards.
If you can’t find a certification, opt for wild-caught shrimp from North
America—it’s more likely to be sustainably caught. The best choices are
wild-caught MSC-certified pink shrimp from Oregon or their larger
sisters, spot prawns, also from the Pacific Northwest or British Columbia,
which are caught by traps. Avoid: imported shrimp.
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SELENIUM AND MERCURY IN OCEAN
John Kaneko M.S., D.V.M.
Hawaii Seafood Council Honolulu, Hawaii
Protective effects of selenium against mercury toxicity have been
demonstrated in all animal models evaluated. Since interactions between
selenium and mercury and their molar ratios in seafood are essential
factors in evaluating risks associated with dietary mercury exposure,
considering mercury content alone is inadequate.

In order to evaluate the safety of Hawaii seafood products in regards to
the potential mercury hazard, the absolute and molar concentrations of
mercury and selenium were determined in edible portions from 2 sets of
fish.
The first set was a sample of 420 individual fish representing 15 species of
pelagic fish collected from the central North Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
Selenium was in molar excess of mercury in almost all fish species
evaluated. The rank order of mean Se:Hg molar ratios was striped marlin
(17.6)> yellowfin tuna (14.1)> mahimahi (13.1)> skipjack tuna (12.8)>
spearfish (11.4)> wahoo (10.8)> sickle pomfret (6.7)> albacore tuna (5.3)>
bigeye tuna (5.2)> blue marlin (4.1)> escolar (2.4)> opah (2.3)> thresher
shark (1.5)> swordfish (1.2)> mako shark (0.5).
With a Se:Hg molar ratio of less than 1, mako shark was the
only fish containing a net molar excess of mercury.
The second set was a sample of 108 individual fish (and shrimp)
representing eight important seafood species in Hawaii including 2
species of small pelagic fish, 3 species of deepwater bottomfish, a
shoreline species (both wild-caught and farm-raised), and farmraised
tilapia and Pacific white shrimp. Samples were collected from fishermen,
farms and the market. Selenium was found in molar excess of mercury in
each of the species evaluated. The rank order of mean Se:Hg molar ratios
was farm-raised Pacific white shrimp (41.1)> bigeye scad (39.8)>
mackerel scad (39.4)> farm-raised Pacific threadfin (32.8)> pink snapper
(26.7)> far-raised tilapia (21.6)> Hawaii seabass (8.1)> blue-green
snapper (3.3).

The relatively high Se:Hg molar ratios resulted in part from low levels of
mercury in these species in comparison with the pelagic fish in the first
sample set. The Selenium Health Benefit Value (SeHBV) which is based
on the absolute amounts and relative proportions of selenium and
mercury in seafood has been proposed as an important seafood safety
criterion, one that is far superior to the determination of mercury content
in fish alone.
Seafoods containing positive SeHBVs provide health-promoting
selenium in the diet, while those with negative SeHBVs do not.
Each of the Hawaii seafood species evaluated had positive
SeHBV with the exception of mako shark.
Source: Hawaii Seafood Council. [Emphasis Supplied]
https://hawaii-seafood.org/uploads/2010%20Symposium/Kaneko-John%20Abstract.pdf
Image Courtesy Hawaii Seafood Council