After reading David Lennetts post yesterday, I wanted to learn more about his background and work with the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). To do so, the NRDC website requires you to view experts by subject. Because Mr. Lennett urged the U.S. government to ensure this first-ever mercury treaty truly protects public health, I assumed he would be among the Health experts. But he wasnt.

Because Mr. Lennett wrote, We need a strong global treaty to stop mercury pollution and protect the safety of the fish (and other aquatic food sources) we eat, I looked through the NRDCs list of Oceans experts. Not here either.

Perhaps his lack of expertise accounts for the errors found throughout his blog post. Or perhaps he thought that conflating thermometers, batteries and light bulbs (containing elemental mercury) with trace amounts of naturally occurring methylmercury found in all ocean species of fish would give our State Department leverage in next weeks UNEP treaty negotiations.

Of course, there is no problem with championing a cleaner environment; that s a goal everyone can support. The issue is that activists who scare people away from seafood to gain traction for their unrelated agendas contradict scientific consensus and the latest nutrition advice. Ultimately, their faulty and reckless assertions are likely to put public health at risk because consumers are erroneously cautioned to stay away from one of the healthiest foods on eart. Reporting on their dangerous advice only compounds confusion and furthers the damage incurred.

Lets look at the facts:

Due to volcanic activity along the seabed, mercury has been naturally occurring in the ocean since the beginning of time. In fact, records show that the levels of mercury in commercial seafood are the same as they were nearly 100 years ago.

The top ten most popular fish that Americans enjoy such as canned tuna, shrimp, salmon, and crab, among others are all low in mercury.

Coal fired power plant emissions contain mercury contaminants that pollute lakes, streams, and rivers. The EPA, which has jurisdiction over inland waterways, closely monitors mercury levels and advises recreational anglers on what is safe to consume.

The Food and Drug Administration overseas ocean caught and commercially farmed seafood.

No peer-reviewed published medical journal in this country has ever reported a case of mercury toxicity from the normal consumption of commercial seafood.

In the spirit of truly protecting public health, activists and the media need reminding from time to time that according to a peer-reviewed study risk-centric messaging reduces fish consumption resulting in an overall reduction in the potential health benefits derived from EPA + DHA.

Again, here are the facts:

Low seafood consumption is the second-biggest dietary contributor to preventable deaths in the U.S., taking 84,000 lives each year (for perspective, low intake of fruits and vegetables takes 58,000 lives each year)

Currently Americans eat only 15 lbs. of seafood each year, compared to 110 pounds of red meat and 73 pounds of poultry

The North American diet contains the second-lowest percentage of fish in the world (7.0%) second only to the Sudan while the 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend 20% of the protein we eat should be seafood.

On any given day, only one-quarter of Americans report consuming any fish-based omega-3s (DHA and EPA).

As coverage of the UN conference increases, journalists must be extra judicious in reporting the information they are gathering. Lets not embarrass ourselves on the world stage.