Are consumers avoiding all Pacific seafood?

Seafood companies are concerned that confused consumers may begin avoid all Pacific

fish over radiation fears. Though there is currently almost no evidence of seafood in the supply chain being tainted from the nuclear reactor leak at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan, consumers and governments remain cautious about the safety of seafood harvested in the Pacific island nation. 

For some, that concern has spilled over into Pacific seafood in general, as media reports raise the possibility that the radiation could spread far and wid across the ocean, and into the waters of Alaska and the West Coast. 

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), whose stakeholders include seafood companies both harvesting and processing Pacific seafood, is troubled by the misperception. "Yes, we are concerned that all Pacific fish are being lumped together. And yes, we have had questions from both U.S. and European customers," ASMI spokesman Tyson Fick told IntraFish, in spite of the fact that "every state,federal and international agency as well as every credible independent scientist is saying seafood from the Alaskan waters of the North Pacific Ocean is safe to eat." 

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI), which represents the U.S. seafood sector, has also had questions from its members about the safety of Pacific seafood over the last month. NFI spokesman Gavin Gibbons told IntraFish the questions are coming "mostly after erroneous news reports." NFI has been in talks with several agencies about the health concerns, including the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and continues to hold regular stakeholder sessions to gather the latest information on the issue. "We want to make sure the messages coming out from regulatory agencies is accurate, updated and clear," Gibbons said. 

So far, Gibbons said, he's been pleased. The FDA didn't mince words in a briefing on its Web site: "Seafood from the United States waters of the North Pacific is safe to eat."  The FDA's message hasn't completely trickled down to the wider public, though. Toshihide Kawai, assistant manager of Los Angeles-based International Marine Products, one of Southern California's largest suppliers to sushi restaurants in the state, told IntraFish he is indeed getting questions about Pacific seafood from his customers. 

"They're concerned, and they've become much more careful about sourcing," Kawai said. Wholesale suppliers of sashimi-grade fish and other seafood items for sushi restaurants are getting a double-whammy. Not only are consumers asking questions about radiation, but some have a perception that all sushi fish, including salmon and tuna, is sourced from Japan. To combat concerns, Kawai switched sources for his Japanese seafood to suppliers in the southern regions of Japan.

In addition, he is reminding customers that regulatory testing procedures are extremely stringent in the wake of the disaster. "There are three levels of testing now -- the FDA, U.S. Customs and the Japanese government -- and we're even sending samples to labs for voluntary testing to reassure buyers," Kawai said. 

At least one famous restaurateur -- Le Bernadin's Eric Ripert, who appeared on the television show "Top Chef" -- is using a radiation detector to scan his fish purchases. In addition to this highly conservative approach, Ripert helped fuel consumer fears by telling the New York Times that the reasoning behind scanning his fish was that “nobody knows how the currents will carry the contaminated water." Ripert told CNN in a later interview that he has found no traces of radiation in any of his fish, and said the device was mainly to address "paranoia" and "conspiracy theories" among customers in his Manhattan restaurant. 

More seafood-savvy areas of the country have a better understanding of the difference -- and distance -- between the two sides of the Pacific. Seafood chain Anthony's, which has 20 locations around Washington State, has received only one consumer concern since the crisis.  "And that was right after it happened," Tim Ferleman, general manager of Anthony's Seafood told IntraFish. "I don't think too many people are concerned about it up here. To me, anyone with common sense is going to know that if you're eating three ounces of a huge tuna that's been swimming around over there it's not going to affect you anyway.

Unless the thing is glowing, I'd eat it." Ferleman's common-sense approach is in-line with the FDA's, which in a basic chemistry lesson further noted that the radiation deposited in the water "is dispersed by currents, and ultimately, the laws of diffusion."  That said, the FDA, U.S. Customs, the EPA, NOAA and even the U.S. Navy are monitoring the situation and any potential threat to human or environmental health. NOAA is considering implementing a monitor system for U.S. fishing areas, which would include testing of fish and inspection of processing operations, but based on the existing information, has not made the decision to do so.