In Australia, we like our tuna. According to the Marine Stewardship Council , 14.4 million Australians buy canned tuna each year, with Millennials and parents topping the list.
And while we are not at the scale of Japan, the European Union and US, tuna remains a big part of our seafood consumption , along with other large oceanic fish such as shark, salmon and prawns. Fish consumption is linked to many health benefits and the prevention of various conditions including obesity, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. Oily fish, such as tuna and salmon, are particularly high in essential omega-3 fatty acids and a good source of protein, with health authorities recommending them as a regular part of everyone’s diet.
According to the Marine Stewardship Council, 14.4 million Australians buy canned tuna each year. Credit: Getty Images But there are caveats.
In the case of tuna and other piscivorous fish (who eat other fish), it’s the threat of mercury poisoning. But how worried should we be? What is mercury, and how does it end up in fish? Mercury is a metallic element that is released into the air either naturally – through volcanic eruptions or emissions from the ocean – or through emissions caused by humans, through the release of fossil fuels or industrial processes. Loading It is these anthropogenic mercury emissions that pose the greatest danger to humans, says Australian National University Associate Professor and environmental scientist Larissa Schneider.
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