Mercury Levels in Fijian Seafoods and Potential Health Implications

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risk of consumption of these larger-sized species of fish by pregnant women is not
publicized in Fiji so a definite health risk exists. Canned fish can be consumed in
moderate quantities (4-7 cans per week depending on body weight) without a risk of
health effects (Fig. 4c) and shellfish and reef could be consumed in very large amounts
(2-3 kg/week for an average sized person, Fig 4d).
The analyses in the current study were performed on raw (uncooked) fish tissue but
mercury is not significantly removed by normal cooking processes (USEPA, 2001).
Because moisture is lost during cooking, the concentration of mercury (on a weight for
weight basis) after cooking is actually higher than it is in fresh uncooked fish (USEPA,
2001).
Figure 5: Fish price list in Suva, Fiji showing the low price for a number of
species which contain high mercury levels.