To the editor:
I can’t tell you how shocked and dismayed I was by the article in your September issue written by Sandra Dinsmore, which describes the substance of an August lecture hosted by the Marine Environmental Research Institute. I use such adjectives because the entire corps of such organizations as the government sponsored health organizations, nutritionists and the medical community generally have spent the last few years trying to emphasize the importance of Americans consuming more fish.
Seemingly with one fell swoop the three speakers at the aforementioned conference seek to re-write science written by, espoused by and promoted by literally their colleagues. What a shame!
Frankly the three speakers in question should be ashamed by some of their remarks. I was particularly struck by the comment suggesting the practice of feeding chickens fish oil and meal is somehow new and exposes eaters of chicken to new potential health dangers. Wake up — chickens have been fed fish oil and meal for decades!
There is good science and bad science, [and there are] scientists who understand their job is to provide practical, sensible advice on a relative basis. Perhaps such organizations as the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization and the EPA don’t know what they are talking about and the speakers at this conference really do. I’ll stick with my five-day-a-week diet of seafood, thank you. Perhaps next time the [Marine Environmental Research] Institute might do a better job of ensuring a balance in the views of its presenters. If they have any trouble in finding competent scientists who can argue the other side, let me know — I’ll send them the names of 10,000.
John Risley, president
Clearwater Fine Foods Inc.
Bedford, Nova Scotia