Ocean conservation group Oceana is citing a new report that shows samples of monkfish and scorpion fish taken from the Mediterranean Sea revealed high concentrations of mercury.
The fish in question came from waters off the island of Menorca, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean, according to Oceana.
An analysis of the samples by the University of Barcelona found eight of the 10 samples collected showed mercury levels higher than the maximum levels permitted by European regulations. Oceana bought the fish from fish markets with labels showing they had been caught off Menorca, near the port of Maó, and brought them to the university for analysis.
Oceana used the study to support objections to the depositing of dredging materials off the port of Maó, which Oceana alleged would add to the problem.
"We chose species with a small range of mobility to ensure that the contamination of these fish came from the island and not elsewhere," said Xavier Pastor, executive director of Oceana in Europe. "We can therefore say that in Menorca there are currently problems with mercury contamination and if the dredged material which is contaminated with this substance is dumped into the sea, as they intend to do in the port of Maó, the situation will get worse."
