Ecobreves – MEXICO:: Marine Fauna Contaminated

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

MEXICO CITY, Jul 29 2006 (IPS) - – The international environmental watchdog Greenpeace has asked Mexico's health authorities to respond to the contamination of marine fauna that poses a threat for human consumption. Alejandro Olivera, coordinator of Greenpeace-Mexico's ocean campaign, told Tierramérica that the appeal aims to expand the studies to include a wide range of contaminants, not just focused on fecal matter as they are currently.

He explained that based on studies by 37 Mexican scientists, many of them from the Autonomous National University of Mexico, it was discovered that several marine species present contamination from zinc, cadmium, lead and mercury, as well as from pesticides, salmonella and cholera.

In response, Environment Minister José Luis Luege Tamargo asked Greenpeace to provide proof to the Ministry of Health so that necessary action could be taken.