Are the fish that we are consuming safe ? This has become a major concern as there is huge demand for fish from other parts of the country in Manipur. Most fish traders feel that the fish are given medicines to gain weight within a short period of time and research works are not done to investigate if the imported fish are safe to be consumed forget about the nutritious values. Local produce is not adequate to meet the high demand of the people. During festivals and any other occasions fish is in high demand. As the people of the state are highly dependent on rice and fish we have to ensure that we put special thrust to produce a respectable quantity otherwise people are unsafe. Rice is controlled by the state but fish production and trading remain in private domain and the issue should not brushed aside as most of the people consume fish. Though research works are scanty in our country we have to take cognizance of the findings of a study done in the US. The study has linked low-level mercury exposure in pregnant women with a greater risk of ADHD-related behaviours. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects approximately ten percent of children worldwide. The study led by Susan Korrick, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and Sharon Sagiv, PhD, MPH, of Boston University School of Public Health also found that maternal fish consumption during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of ADHD-related behaviors in children.This duality is possible because many types of fish have low levels of mercury, so it is possible for a pregnant woman to eat nutritionally beneficial fish without being exposed to much mercury.”These findings underscore the difficulties pregnant women face when trying to balance the nutritional benefits of fish intake with the potential detriments of low-level mercury exposure,” said Dr. Korrick.Dr. Sagiv agrees this study provides an important public health message, saying, “Women need to know that nutrients in fish are good for the brain of a developing fetus, but women need to be aware that high mercury levels in some fish pose a risk.”This analysis involved approximately 400 children born in New Bedford, Massachusetts between 1993 and 1998. Shortly after their mothers gave birth, researchers collected hair samples from the mothers and analyzed them for mercury. They also gave the mothers a questionnaire to determine their fish consumption during pregnancy. Eight years later, researchers followed up with the children and administered standardized tests to determine behaviours related to ADHD.
Additionally, researchers found a reduced risk of ADHD-related behaviors in children whose mothers reported eating more than two servings of fish per week, which is a higher number of servings than is currently recommended by the United States Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.The study did not examine what types of fish are best for a pregnant woman to eat, but previous studies have shown women should avoid fish that are high in mercury, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and fresh tuna. Fish that are low in mercury, such as flounder, haddock, and salmon, are safer to eat and good sources of nutrition. We have to acknowledge that fish is eaten by pregnant women in huge quantity. Strict regulation of the trade in a positive will benefit all.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/regulating-fish-trade/
