Dr. Aaron Bernstein, the Associate Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment, provided oral testimony to this hearing on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Bernstein's comments draw from research on the health benefits of fish—including the prevention of allergic disease and cognitive development—while also addressing the health and sustainability concerns regarding fish and shellfish.
He opens with a powerful message: "As a pediatrician with expertise in environmental health, I am well familiar with the anxieties that parents have about feeding their children fish, such as whether they will harm their children by exposing them to toxins that may be present in fish such as mercury, dioxins, and PCBs. I’m also aware, however, that eating fish in childhood may offer significant, and underappreciated benefits to children, especially in comparison to other sources of animal protein. On top of these health considerations, we must acknowledge that if we are to provide guidance on fish consumption, such guidance must recognize that wild fish stocks worldwide have been largely depleted because of unsustainable consumption."
