Published: May 28th, 2012 at 3:05 pm ET
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Radioactive Bluefin Tuna Caught Off Coast Of San Diego
KGTV San Diego
POSTED: 11:54 am PDT May 28, 2012
Across the vast Pacific, the mighty bluefin tuna carried radioactive contamination that leaked from Japan’s crippled nuclear plant to the shores of the United States 6,000 miles away — the first time a huge migrating fish has been shown to carry radioactivity such a distance.
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The levels of radioactive cesium were 10 times higher than the amount measured in tuna off the California coast in previous years. But even so, that’s still far below safe-to-eat limits set by the U.S. and Japanese governments.
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But scientists did not expect the nuclear fallout to linger in huge fish that sail the world because such fish can metabolize and shed radioactive substances.
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The results “are unequivocal. Fukushima was the source,” said Ken Buesseler of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, who had no role in the research.
Bluefin tuna absorbed radioactive cesium from swimming in contaminated waters and feeding on contaminated prey such as krill and squid, the scientists said.
[...]
Now that scientists know that bluefin tuna can transport radiation, they also want to track the movements of other migratory species including sea turtles, sharks and seabirds.
Nicholas Fisher, one of the researchers reporting the findings online Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- “We were frankly kind of startled”
- “That’s a big ocean. To swim across it and still retain these radionuclides is pretty amazing.”
More from the startled and amazed Fisher:
- Strange: 8 months later, plutonium test results still "pending" -- Researcher compares Fukushima radiation to potassium -- From nuclear-connected university
- CNN: Scientists surprised by high levels of radioactive silver in fish off Japan coast
- Researchers: Cesium-137 from Fukushima "not likely" to concentrate in fish as much as mercury -- "Moderate buildup" might occur higher up food chain
Published: May 28th, 2012 at 3:05 pm ET
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sending...
It does not surprise me, tuna are big travelers, and near the top of foodchain.
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Agreed Sharp. The damage is done – now let's hope it at least raises awareness for two things:
a) nuclear power is deadly
b) bluefin tune is almost extinct and should not be caught – radioactive or not.
*we are such a failure.
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I'd beware of pacific salmon too, unfortunately. It was inevitable the contamination would move through and concentrate up the food chain. I always thought it odd that anybody denied it.
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CBS evening news tonight 5-28, in a vain attempted coverup, gave an unusual 30 second coverage on west coast U.S. bluefin tuna with cesium levels 10 times normal, "but OK for human consumption", with no mention of the fact that news such as this is not OK for human consumption, but is just as toxic as the tuna.
I quadrupled my long-dated canned tuna and salmon stack in the 6 months following fuku 3/11, and then stopped buying, and expect the derision of family anf friends may soon end after the contamination of this year's west coast spring tuna harvest is made known.
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Just note when this story was broken – on the Monday of a 3-day weekend, when nobody's paying any attention to the news. More bullshit from the media. And I love the scientist who is shocked, I say, shocked! that fish could swim that far and carry radiation. What is he a scientist of, concrete and asphalt?
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The story says:
"… Five months after the Fukushima disaster, Fisher of Stony Brook University in New York and a team decided to test Pacific bluefin that were caught off the coast of San Diego. To their surprise, tissue samples from all 15 tuna captured contained levels of two radioactive substances — ceisum-134 and cesium-137 — that were higher than in previous catches…."
Five months after the disaster means that they first caught radioactive fish back in August. So most likely people have been eating radioactive fish for months and the EPA is completely AWOL.
Well, I'm glad that these researchers were looking for the stuff, since our worthless government "authorities" made the decision to turn a blind eye to it.
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The radiation is much more thoroughly distributed through the food chain now. My guess is if they catch a tuna tomorrow and test it they will find even higher levels. The article is very easy to comment on, just type a name and type a message. Nothing but a bunch of dim bulbs there.
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"That’s a big ocean. To swim across it and still retain these radionuclides is pretty amazing."
How do they know that the radionuclides were retained from areas closer to Japan? They are making it sound like they assume that the waters off of San Diego are not contaminated also.
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The research on radioactive kelp in Southern Ca waters cited at Enenews should be a clue
http://enenews.com/study-author-california-iodine-131-underestimated-probably-double-or-triple-what-we-reported-it%E2%80%99s-not-a-good-thing-dispersed-over-a-variety-of-organisms
http://enenews.com/l-a-daily-news-column-radioactive-kelp-is-californias-most-under-reported-story-of-the-spring-its-been-somewhat-radioactive-off-and-on-for-months
http://enenews.com/local-tv-radiation-in-kelp-could-create-a-health-concern-for-so-california-seafood-lovers-the-question-we-all-want-answered-how-dangerous-is-this-to-you-and-me-video
http://enenews.com/paper-orange-county-coastal-fish-possibly-affected-by-radioactivity-i-would-assume-its-there-in-the-plants-and-animals-off-californias-coast-says-researcher
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Majia…Radioactive kelp was discovered off La Jolla last Summer. The enenews report:
"California Researchers Detect Radioactive Release From Fukushima Plant, Bloomberg by Ryan Flinn, August 15, 2011:"
<http://enenews.com/radioactive-sulfur-california-spiked-highest-levels-detected-university-researchers>
And the case of one group of scientists debunking another. Kai Vetter of the UCB nuclear engineering department found flaw with the UCD study. One UCB prof even said the "kids" at UCD were out of their depth because they were from a different field of science!!!
BRAWM (Berkeley Radiological Air and Water Monitoring) team did monitoring from the beginning of Fukushima. I found their work, inadequate, minimizing, and suspect. Their statement is:
PNAS Paper Claims Radioactive Sulfur Seen In SoCal | Department …
<www.nuc.berkeley.edu/node/5340>
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re: "… scientists did not expect the nuclear fallout to linger in huge fish that sail the world because such fish can metabolize and shed radioactive substance"
Some scientists have been warning of bioaccumulation for months. I am surprised to hear that some scientists were surprised.
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Precisely!
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Iam335–And where is the "scientific study" which demonstrates that "…huge fish… can metabolize and shed radioactive substance"?
Where did THEY come up with this factoid?
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How to shed ionizing radiation:
"That's a big ocean. To swim across it and still retain these radionuclides is pretty amazing," Fisher said."
In other words, if we swim distances and work out hard, we 'should' be able to shed most of our radioactivity!??
So, quit eating and exercise hard.
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dharmasyd, that seemed like such a huge whopper that I searched for it ("fish metabolize radiation") half-expecting to find that there was some truth to it. I mean they wouldn't go that far out on a limb with something so easily checked, would they?…
It seems they have. I found nothing at all supporting the claim, but the Net certainly is abuzz with the present story – it's been picked up everywhere.
This "huge fish metabolize radiation" claim looks like the North American version of "smiling happy people don't get radiation sickness." History will not be kind to people who say things like that, to put it mildly.
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Thanks aigeezer. I didn't even bother to fact check it. I guess I'm not much of a scientist. I just saw it as preposterous out front.
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I am with you on this one. In the article they even mentioned background cesium from the testing in the 60's but they assumed the tuna would shrug off the fresh batch of cesium. I am frankly startled they are paid to be scientists
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Hehe. The preposterous ones are the most interesting when they turn out to be true… earth not flat, whales not fish, terabyte disks, quantum mechanics, atoms can be split (oops).
I don't think there'll be a market for T-shirts saying "huge fish metabolize radiation" though. That's the ultimate fish story to date, it seems – your instincts are sound.
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dharma, you don't have to be a scientist to spot that one
Steenkin' rottin' lie
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And we don' need no steenkin' badges, neither.
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I dont know how these people keep getting startled. Like the Alaskan politician and the debris washing up. Most of us here have known for a year these things were coming. I,m just a dumb fucking electrician and it was all clear to me. I think there is a lot of playing stupid going on.
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Dogleg, maybe all the Cesium is damaging their nervous systems and exaggerating their startle relfexes ….
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I just read it here …
http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/radioactive-bluefin-tuna-crossed-the-pacific-to-us
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All the water in the world.
http://goo.gl/xydBW
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Only the most Radioactive Tuna gets to be Starkist ….
I think I'll take my chances with the local catfish and panfish if I'm feeling the need to eat fish ….
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Ahh, no worries it's below acceptable levels. Hmm, since they raised them after the accident. Shaking my head in disgust.
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Sorry Charlie.
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This is serious. The implications are far reaching. Some people will be put in a position of either starve, or take the risk. Most worrisome development.
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This should explain the recent die offs seals, dolphins, pelicans, etc. which has been a great puzzle to scientists. IMHO
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moonshell…Au contraire, mon ami. These critters also swim (or fly) long distances which, ergo, should allow them to metabolize and shed the radioactive nuisances. The scientists said so. Snark Attack!
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I haven't seen reports of die-offs here. If you have links can you send them to me? boodiba-at-yahoo-dot-com.
I don't eat fish, but inquiring minds want to know!
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Mass Animal Deaths
http://mass-animal-death.beforeitsnews.com/
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Look before you leap to an unknown email addy, folks.
http://enenews.com/tv-america-prepared-deal-nuke-disaster-before-fukushima-happened-report-disregarding-lessons-fukushima-daiichi-nrc-secretively-issued-new-rule/comment-page-1#comment-250742
http://enenews.com/just-in-japan-govt-considering-expansion-of-evacuation-zone/comment-page-1#comment-87325
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xdrfox was right on the money on this from the beginning, apparently
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Here in South East New Mexico it was a dove die-off. Very few left. I was finding 2-4 per day dead. On the bright side, a good batch of new quail.
I have been watching th cottontails. New bunnies have odd coloring, but so far none without ears or other deformities.
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Talk about animals dying off. Wait till you see the weather heat up. This is when the particles work their deadly magic. When various chemical reactions and small masses hinder physiology. Clots, heat stroke, impaired liver and kidney function, Immune system failures, circulatory system failures, cellular division failures, and unknown mysterious diseases that they say are 1 in a million. Question. If a million people have a slightly different version of the same underlying ailment, is it still a 1 in a million disease?
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No words for now.
Just look at the family, the ones in the avatar/photo to your left.
(A mother whale and her baby)
- ty
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In case anyone's looking for a more contemporary fish avatar, here are some options:
http://gizmodo.com/5853988/the-simpsons-called-it-three-eyed-fish-caught-outside-a-nuclear-power-plant
http://gajitz.com/blinky-in-real-life-three-eyed-fish-caught-in-argentina/
http://grist.org/list/2011-10-28-great-we-have-three-eyed-fish-now/
http://www.freakingnews.com/3-Eyed-Nuclear-Fish-Food-Pics-60667.asp
Someone with graphics skill ought to update the Sun-kist Charlie the tuna image to reflect the new, Fuku'd up "normal":
http://philosophyofscienceportal.blogspot.com/2010/06/goodbye-charlietuna.html
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Ooh! Radioactive growth formula. I'll have to get me some.
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I agree with you, Dogleg. When the debris from Japan starts hitting the west coast en masse, and some is found to be radioactive, they're going to be shocked. It's just a matter of denial, hear no evil, see no evil kind of response, I guess, but most of us would rather know the truth even if it sucks. I am just a social worker with no hard science background, but I know enough to not be startled by this information. I also think it's about time that information presented by sources such as Arnie Gundersen, Helen Caldicott and Chris Busby be taken a lot more seriously by governmental officials and the media.
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Fasinating how fleeting the notion on Facts are, and what Mailorder hotdogstand, is the druling pack of so caled sientistic idiots reporting to right now.
This is a scandale, the problem is obvious, total eclipse of Brain activity, and even more worrying basic fu.. knowledge.
I am NOT impressed, and even stunned, the maping is inadecvate at best, dangerous to overlook, and may be a Nasty suprice.
We hope for the best, but I dont belive that.
Its been, litle over a Year now, what about next year.
The Ground surounding the sites on Fukushima 1, is grumbling a.w.s.
Water of unknown mass is been poured over them all, and all the will be MORE radioctive as time goes by.
They may halt or in a way reduce some of it, now, but again the inertia of increasingly higher site rad. wil eventualy be to high, still water wil be poured and used, a.s.o.
A dangerous spriral, imposible to come out of, with the present rate.
The long term, is uttery grim, and since, sience is dead and corrupted to the core, we are simply fu..
Thats it.
What an grim irony, a planet wasted, just to save some shareholders asses.
peace
“Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.”
― H. Jackson Brown Jr.
amen
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Mikael…So incredibly well said. I especially like:
>>> total eclipse of Brain activity <<< Right on.
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Yes, agreed.
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Like the IQ of small kitchen appliances, unplugged.
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HoTa…Many +++++es.
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You might also like this one … IQ's below room temperature.
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Funny…..Get your mind right
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Nothing can "process" radiation. Cs is not as easily excreted as they say. Minimizing scum.
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I never did like the concept that radiation will disperse or that aquatic life will filter radiation out…
… That's like saying that the smoking in an crowded bar will disperse once the smoke is released into the bar's air system and/or your lungs will filter it out.
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+ Max
§…Below is an example of how long some radioactive elements are traceable in the "big ocean" & that scientists have know this for many years.
Radioactive tritium became a perfect marker for tracking ocean water §. Scientists sampling North Atlantic water found that tritium released into the atmosphere before the 1962 nuclear test ban treaty, mixed downward by 1973. By 1980, the same tritium had moved into deep areas off Florida. The water had taken about 20 years to travel 3000 miles (4800 km) through the sea at an average speed of less than half a mile a day, about half the speed of a snail §.
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/oceanography_currents_3.html
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Good analogy. Now I've got to stop posting cos' I'm just agreeing with y'all.
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Arnie Gundersen warned a year ago that tuna & salmon would be contaminated. These scientists that say they are *startled* are told to use such words (or Media was told to use the word*startled*). Thus avoiding the obvious conclusion. ..That scientists, various specialists & government officials knew without a shadow of doubt that the radiation would indeed work its way up the food chain. Because of the word *startled* nobody will be demanding answers as to why they hadn't been warned & doing as they should…holding those scientists & government officials responsible & charging them with genocide.
An *inconvenient truth comes out becasue the contamination is so high that others would learn on their own…this article is simply to avoid the obvious conclusion…that they already knew.
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Sure…
… Sit me in a crowded bar with a Whiskey and tell me to filter out the cigarette smoke with my lungs all the while telling me the cancer I will develop is imaginary.
OK.
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We have a winner! Give the little lady a prize!
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Nicky…you spoke out of the other side of your mouth in February:
"The total radiation in the marine organisms that we collected from Fukushima is still less than the natural radiation background that the animals already had, and quite a bit less," he said. "It's about 20%."
CNN February 22, 2012:
Headline: Radiation levels higher but safe off Fukushima Daiichi, scientists say
http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/22/world/asia/japan-fukushima-pacific/index.html
SP: He's an enthusiastic scientist from all the research he has authored, but I am not too thrilled with his conclusions or methodology concerning bioaccumulation of radioactivity in fish tissue.
Glad you admit you were "startled" (wrong) about your earlier conjecture. Now how about those Oregon salmon and Alaskan king crab Nick?
Or seals, or whales, or…you name it…they have been blitzed by Fukushima.
And lest we forget the massive bird deaths…the prized mutton birds (sooty shearwater) that nest every year in Fukushima over the winter before their annual migration back home to New Zealand.
Seven million of the 22 million birds did not make it back home this year. Maybe the tuna picked off a few carcasses?
http://enenews.com/33-muttonbirds-disappeared-after-summer-fukushima-making-poor-condition-new-zealand-govt-researcher
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Nice use of the Internet as archive, Sp. I don't think the "bad guys" have yet noticed that they always leave an Internet trail and that there are "good guys" watching the trails. No longer can they say "I was misquoted" the way they used to do.
Reminder to all "good guys" – don't overstate our case. We leave trails too.
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aigeezer, I absolutely agree with you. That's why I get so bent when people deliberately exaggerate or imply things are happening when there is no evidence to support their claims. We have zero (0%) credibility when we exaggerate or mis-state the facts. The opposition will be all over that like flies on poo.
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Speaking of which, I've had to tone myself down, because I can rant about all of this. It's truly disturbing.
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Another article with more details:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/05/29/3512816.htm
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Eros.."…but total radiocaesium concentrations were still significantly below the current **Japanese safety limit***." That's reassuring. Thanks ABC.
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Food safety levels are a deception since 3/11.
This is how governments have deceived the public about food safety radiation levels worldwide.
They first release an article like this one. I am using the EU as an example here.
Extract from article link below:
“EU boosts food import controls after Japanese nuclear disaster. The European Union is to step up controls on food imports from Japan in the wake of the nuclear accident at Fukushima – but stressed there was no evidence that consumers in the region were at risk from radiation-contaminated food.
The EU ruling insists that all products from these prefectures are tested before leaving Japan and said they will be subject to random testing in the bloc. Japanese authorities will have to provide a declaration confirming products do not contain radioactive elements – called radionuclides – that exceed EU maximum levels. The Commission highlighted radionuclides iodine-131, caesium-134 and caesium-137."
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Quality-Safety/EU-boosts-food-import-controls-after-Japanese-nuclear-disaster
This makes you feel warm and cosy inside, because you think your government is looking after you and your family.
This article "EU boosts food import controls after Japanese nuclear disaster" is a clever deception because they then proceed to quietly raise the EU maximum safety levels by 20x for caesium-134 and caesium-137. Governments worldwide have used this same tactic.
http://foodfreedom…
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Continued: sorry link got cut off in previous post.
http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/eu-secretly-ups-cesium-safety-level-in-food-20-fold/
They then tell the public everything is testing below safety levels, nothing to
worry about!
Here is another example, Japan this time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc6FPIK1VaY
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Good one ES:
The Aussies have a huge uranium mine industry to protect.
Interesting choice of words to consider in their statement:
"Certain foods from Japan, including fish, are subject to testing at the Australian border prior to being allowed into the food supply."
"If the combined levels of C-137 and C-134 in fish are below 1000 Bq/kg the food is considered safe and allowed into the food supply."
"The 1000 Bq/kg limit is an internationally accepted safe level."
SP: The Aussies don't check fish for radiation any more than the US government. The US government refused to fund any fish testing along with the Canadians.
Stone cold bureaucrats. But watch them closely when they go to a conference on a junket…they eat rock lobster from south Africa. And that might not be safe forever.
I don't know about you, but 999 becquerels of radiation is not what I call safe. Shout out for Erin Brockovich! Time to serve these folks some tuna tartare with Fukushima mineral well water for refreshments. Followed up with Chiba tea and Miyagi mochi.
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trying to stop Oz uranium ..
http://enenews.com/forum-general-discussion-thread-nuclear-issues-23-31-2012/comment-page-2#comment-255083
(tangent topic, new link)
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Continue to spread this type of news far and wide.
Use all the tools at your disposal found within the force.
Remember that most of what we call the civilized world is "brain dead" and not by choice but by a cleverly implemented design.
We must awaken the masses!
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Indeed obewan…This is why I don't like to call them, nor to hear them, the peeps, called 'sheeple;'they have been manipulated into complacency. Indeed, wake them up.
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good the testing was done in the 1st place. MORE OF SUCH, PLEAE !! Having read the article, some important questions remain, though:
1. what's the general test scheme: was that routine testing, done to a random thuna – either with time frame, e.g. once a month, or by percentage, e.g. 1 in every 1000 caught thuna? It seems this was an initial test, and a summer follow-up will follow ..?
2. who contracted that testing? meaning: who commissioned/ ordered and therefore paid for it? Scientists for scientist?
3. will this result lead to more thunas of the current catch be tested?
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For those of you who may not have read it, this is a comprehensive explanation from nuclearcrimes.org on testing they performed on North Pacific fish, the results,and why they believe FDA standards are problematic. (Dated 05/15/12)
"Your Vital Choice When Shopping For Seafood."
http://www.nuclearcrimes.org/fukushimaupdates.php#vital
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Thanks Team, but I quit shopping for seafood about a year ago.
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I see that this news is posted at the very bottom of the Huffington Post right now, but I'll bet if you blink it will be gone.
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It's all an exercise in futility there.
(Pending, pending, pending.)
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Hi Dr Doom,
Thank you for your eloquent and insightful contribution to the debate. I look forward to your views on how to save the gene pool under the current testing circumstances.
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Oh, he went. I thought the rant was pretty good. May not agree, but fiesty
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