WOMEN & CHILDREN FIRST

This article by SCA appeared in the Aquaculture magazine June-July 2025 (Volume 51 Number 3)

WOMEN & CHILDREN FIRST

The necessity for seafood-focused education tailored for women and children arises from the intricacies of nutritional needs, consumption habits, and health risks associated with seafood intake. Women, particularly during pregnancy and lactation, as well as young children, are vulnerable populations whose diets should be emphasized to ensure adequate nutrient intake while mitigating potential health risks from environmental contaminants (FAO, 2023).

The significance of seafood in dietary practices for women and children cannot be overstated. The newly formed Seafood Consumers Association recognises this as an essential area for concentration.

Seafood is widely recognized as a rich source of essential nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for cognitive and physical development in children (Hibbeln et al., 2019; , Méndez et al., 2009). Consumption of fatty fish has been positively correlated with neurocognitive development in offspring (Hibbeln et al., 2019; , Méndez et al., 2009), which is particularly important for pregnant women seeking to enhance foetal growth and brain development (Oken et al., 2008; , Oken, 2004).

Guidelines often caution women of childbearing age against consuming certain seafood high in mercury, which can adversely affect both maternal and child health (Oken et al., 2005; , Zilversmit et al., 2017). This duality—promoting seafood for its benefits while addressing concerns over mercury exposure—highlights the need for focused educational interventions that clarify safe seafood consumption practices.

Whilst completely understanding the precautionary principle we need to understand the consequences of such warnings.

In the document “Total Mercury Exposure in Early Pregnancy Has No Adverse Association with Scholastic Ability of the Offspring Particularly If the Mother Eats Fish” (Hibbeln et al. 2018) it states categorically:

“There is a public perception that relatively low doses of mercury found in seafood are harmful to the foetal brain but little consistent evidence to support this. In earlier publications we have shown no adverse associations between maternal total blood mercury levels and child behaviour, early development or cognitive function as measured by IQ. However, for IQ the lack of adverse association was conditional upon the mother being a fish eater.”

Additionally, according to the World Health Organisation, “Women die as a result of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these complications develop during pregnancy and most are preventable or treatable. Other complications may exist before pregnancy but are worsened during pregnancy, especially if not managed as part of the woman’s care. The major complications that account for around 75% of all maternal deaths are:

  • severe bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth)

  • infections (usually after childbirth)

  • high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia)

  • complications from delivery

  • unsafe abortion.

The WHO in this area make NO mention whatsoever of mercury or other environmental causes creating issues for pregnant women. This highlights how much education is a critical role in shaping dietary behaviours.

Selenium: Nature’s Safeguard in Ocean Fish

Ocean fish are often scrutinised for their methylmercury content, but research led by Dr. Nicholas Ralston has shown that this concern needs important context. Selenium, a trace element abundant in many ocean fish, plays a critical protective role. Ralston’s studies demonstrate that selenium binds with mercury in the body, forming biologically inert compounds that prevent mercury from interfering with essential enzymes and brain function.

The key measure is the Selenium Health Benefit Value (HBVSe) — a ratio of selenium to mercury in seafood. Most ocean fish, including tuna, sardines, and snapper, have HBVSe values above zero, meaning they contain more selenium than mercury and are therefore safe — even beneficial — to consume. In fact, avoiding these fish for fear of mercury may do more harm than good, especially in populations needing selenium for brain development, such as pregnant women and children.

Ralston’s work urges a shift in public messaging: it’s not just about mercury levels, but the selenium-mercury relationship. When viewed through this lens, responsibly sourced ocean fish emerge not as a threat, but as vital, nutrient-rich foods that protect and nourish human health.

Research indicates that higher education levels are linked to better nutrition knowledge and increased seafood consumption, suggesting that improving educational outreach could effectively enhance dietary habits, especially among women and children (Govzman et al., 2020). Unfortunately, many women lack awareness regarding the types of seafood that are both healthy and beneficial.

For instance, a study demonstrated that pregnant women significantly reduced their seafood intake due to perceived health risks from contaminants, often substituting seafood with less nutritious options (Oken et al., 2005; , Zilversmit et al., 2017). Thus, the development of educational tools must address misconceptions about seafood safety, nutritional value, and preparation techniques to encourage regular intake (Christenson et al., 2017; Burns et al., 2024) .

Additionally, barriers such as lack of culinary confidence among parents can hinder children's seafood consumption (Burns et al., 2024;) , (McManus et al., 2007). Educational programs that provide cooking demonstrations, easy recipes, and information on sourcing sustainable seafood could empower families to incorporate more seafood into their diets. Programs addressing these educational needs are necessary to break down resistance stemming from negative perceptions of seafood, such as taste aversion during meal preparation or lack of familiarity (McManus et al., 2007).

To further reinforce these educational tools, evidence suggests that maternal seafood intake during pregnancy directly influences childhood development (Hibbeln et al., 2019; , Méndez et al., 2009). Women who consume varied types of seafood are more likely to have children with improved cognitive development outcomes (Hibbeln et al., 2019; , Oken, 2004). Hence, targeted education that emphasizes the benefits of seafood together with context-specific guidance explaining the risks v benefits in different fish species can create a comprehensive strategy to promote seafood consumption among women and children globally.

In summary, the demand for a seafood-focused educational tool stems from the critical need to balance the nutritional benefits of seafood with the risks associated with contaminants. Such tools must be developed through a framework that acknowledges the barriers faced by women and children and empowers them to make informed seafood choices for improved health outcomes.

The five most important issues for Board of Seafood Consumers Association

The Seafood Consumers Association (SCA) has been formed to be proactive in this area plus lifting the standards in many areas of the seafood industry worldwide. The website (www.seafoodconsumers.global) has been designed to engage consumers and share information and knowledge to eliminate the ‘fog’ that is often created due to ignorance floating in social media.

The SCA Board is building programs around company objectives and is aligning them with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s):

Consumer Education and Advocacy

Everything SCA does should be about education – ensuring seafood consumers have facts and information that enable them to make informed choices

Common language: taking the jargon out of the equation. Creating clear language on each issue.

Educating consumers about food safety, health benefits/potential risks and sustainable seafood choices.

Advocacy: Representing consumer interests in policy discussions and regulatory decisions related to seafood production and trade. Attempting to take unnecessary costs out of the systems thus making seafood more affordable for all. Support and promote initiatives that address food security and nutrition through seafood consumption.

Transparency and Traceability

Supply Chain Transparency: SCA want clear information about where and how seafood is caught or farmed which includes labeling accuracy guaranteeing that seafood labels accurately reflect the species and origin.

Traceability: Promotion of systems that allow consumers to trace the journey of seafood from the water to their plate, ensuring accountability and trust in the chain.

Fraud: We want to see CADMUS introduced in all legislation and businesses as SCA want to be a catalyst for eliminating the US$160 billon/pa seafood fraud.

CADMUS training : C- Counterfeit A-Additions D-Dilutions M-Misrepresentation U-Undisclosed and S-Substitution.

Health and Safety

Food Safety: Ensuring that seafood is handled, processed, distributed and stored properly to prevent foodborne illnesses.

Health Benefits: the most nutritious product you can put in your mouth! Detailing the facts.

Health Risks: Monitoring and understanding all issues relating to issues that may impact seafood eating risks – explaining contaminants like mercury/ PCBs, etc; Parasites; microplastics in seafood, and Seafood Allergies.

Sustainability & Environmental Impact

Explaining all issues like Overfishing; Bycatch and Habitat Destruction, etc as part of the common language process.

Explaining Certification Programs: the history; the costs v benefits; relevancy and confusion. We will advocate for minimal number of programs to eliminate the confusion.

Ethical Labor Practices

Promote Fair Labor Conditions: Ensuring that workers in the seafood industry are treated fairly, paid adequately, and work in safe conditions.

Advocate against Forced Labor: Addressing issues of human trafficking and forced labor in the seafood supply chain.

If you are interested in working with SCA on these lofty goals then please connect with them directly (email:seafoodsdg@outlook.com) and let us hope that SCA can create some energy and be the answer to the missing link that has existed.

References

  • Burns, J., Bhattacharjee, A., Darlington, G., Haines, J., W.L., D., & Study, T. (2024). Parental cooking confidence is associated with children’s intake of fish and seafood. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 85(1), 54-57. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2023-012

  • Christenson, J., O’Kane, G., Farmery, A., & McManus, A. (2017). The barriers and drivers of seafood consumption in Australia: a narrative literature review. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 41(3), 299-311.https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12342

  • FAO, 2023 “Risks and Benefits of Seafood Consumption https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/983b0d22-fb75-4d14-8600-a647080210d9

  • Govzman, S., Looby, S., Wang, X., Butler, F., Gibney, E., & Timon, C. (2020). A systematic review of the determinants of seafood consumption. British Journal of Nutrition, 126(1), 66-80.https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114520003773

  • Hibbeln, J., Spiller, P., Brenna, J., Golding, J., Holub, B., Harris, W., … & Carlson, S. (2019). Relationships between seafood consumption during pregnancy and childhood and neurocognitive development: two systematic reviews. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 151, 14-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2019.10.002

  • Hibbeln, Joseph, et al. “Total Mercury Exposure in Early Pregnancy Has No Adverse Association with Scholastic Ability of the Offspring Particularly If the Mother Eats Fish.” Environment International, vol. 116, 1 July 2018, pp. 108–115. National Library of Medicine,www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5993870/,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.03.024. , https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5993870/

  • McManus, A., Burns, S., Howat, P., Cooper, L., & Fielder, L. (2007). Factors influencing the consumption of seafood among young children in Perth: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 7(1).

  • Méndez, M., Torrent, M., Júlvez, J., Ribas‐Fitó, N., Kogevinas, M., & Sunyer, J. (2009). Maternal fish and other seafood intakes during pregnancy and child neurodevelopment at age 4 years. Public Health Nutrition, 12(10), 1702-1710.https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980008003947

  • Oken, E. (2004). Associations of seafood and elongated n-3 fatty acid intake with foetal growth and length of gestation: results from a us pregnancy cohort. American Journal of Epidemiology, 160(8), 774-783. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwh282

  • Oken, E., Radesky, J., Wright, R., Bellinger, D., Amarasiriwardena, C., Kleinman, K., … & Gillman, M. (2008). Maternal fish intake during pregnancy, blood mercury levels, and child cognition at age 3 years in a us cohort. American Journal of Epidemiology, 167(10), 1171-1181.https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwn034

  • Oken, E., Wright, R., Kleinman, K., Bellinger, D., Amarasiriwardena, C., Hu, H., … & Gillman, M. (2005). Maternal fish consumption, hair mercury, and infant cognition in a USA cohort. Environmental Health Perspectives, 113(10), 1376-1380. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.8041

  • Ralston. D et al 2008, Dietary and tissue selenium in relation to methylmercury toxicity https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161813X08001381

  • Ralston. D et al 2024 Maternal seafood consumption is associated with improved selenium status: Implications for child health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38272071/

  • World Health Organisation (WHO) - https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality

  • Zilversmit, L., Wickliffe, J., Shankar, A., Taylor, R., & Harville, E. (2017). Correlations of biomarkers and self-reported seafood consumption among pregnant and non-pregnant women in southeastern Louisiana after the gulf oil spill: the growth study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(7), 784. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14070784