Fishy facts on seafood imports

Sometimes, all it takes to get a point across is a clear statement of the facts. Let's have a look at some startling ones, shall we?

• Most of the seafood we eat in America is imported.
• Only one percent of imported seafood is inspected by the FDA.
• What seafood is inspected is frequently found to contain levels of chemicals that make it unsafe for human consumption.

Now listen, I'm no math genius, but it seems unlikely to me that the FDA happens to pull the one percent of seafood that's largely tainted. It's more likely that seafood imports across the board are tainted in similar proportions. And then there's this great quote:

Sparks said he has seen firsthand how tainted foreign seafood can be. He's traveled to Vietnam and witnessed fish farmed in sewage.

Mmm. Tasty.

A plan announced yesterday by the Bush administration would give the CPSC the authority to inspect foreign factories where imports are produced. It would also give the FDA mandatory recall power. Although some have called the President's plan too soft, it does seem to signal a willingness to work with Congress to create a plan, which means at least that some action will be taken.