Gulf Seafood: Public Safety vs Economics

(Article first published as Gulf Seafood: Public Safety vs Economics on Technorati.)

Since the Gulf Oil Spill on April 20, the federal government has reopened most of the fishing waters that were closed. It believes that the seafood from this region is safe from oil or the dispersants that were used as part of the cleanup efforts. But a panel of subject matter experts argues that the government overlooked other harmful elements that it should have analyzed.

According to Margaret A. Hamburg, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, “There is no question Gulf seafood coming to market is safe from oil or dispersant residue.” But those on the other side of the argument say the government’s testing has not been rigorous enough to protect public health. They say they have performed independent tests measuring for other elements from the oil that have potential health risks and are routinely finding hydrocarbons associated with liver damage.

It is no secret that local fishermen wanted to get back to working the Gulf waters as quickly as possible. The oil spill has been devastating to the local economy. At this point, the federal government seems to be standing by its findings regarding the safety of seafood from the affected areas of the Gulf spill. At issue here is that concerns for the public’s health not take a back seat to economic interests.

The need to find the right balance between public safety and economic concerns plays itself out in a number of areas in our life.  Sometimes, for instance, when I am aboard an aircraft, the thing squeaks and shakes so badly and makes so many strange noises, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps the aircraft is being kept in service beyond the time it should in an attempt to reduce operating costs and, hence, increase profits.  I am certain that monetary concerns preempt public safety at times, especially when budget constraints require businesses to try and accomplish more with less.

Meanwhile, the federal government this month sued BP and several other companies involved in the Gulf oil spill for untold economic and environmental damage. This lawsuit is separate from a Justice Department criminal probe that has not brought forth any charges as yet.