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Stephen Chen

Whether it's steamed in Guangdong, marinated in wine in Shanghai or stewed in Beijing, fish has been served to guests by their hosts for thousands of years because the word for fish - yu - sounds like "surplus" in Chinese.
But before you reach for the chopsticks, you might wonder: is this delectable dish still edible?
Mainland scientists have published scores of papers on the presence of toxic trace elements - such as pesticides and heavy metals that cause severe illness including cancer - on the mainland's fish since the 1990s.
Their findings are not surprising, given the serious air, water and soil pollution that has accompanied the nation's rapid industrialisation.
Some foreigners told the Sunday Morning Post they never eat fish when dining out on the mainland. Most often, they were concerned about food safety.
Now comes the good - and surprising - news that the situation is improving in some areas at long last, scientists say.
Professor He Bin at the State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology said research had found a noticeable drop in organic pollutants and heavy metals in fish samples from across the country.
The laboratory, run by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, is one of the mainland's first research units dedicated to monitoring the impact of pollution on fish and other species.
Comparing recent years' data with earlier records, levels of pollution in stream and lake fish was "in general, in decline", she said.
She said some of the credit should probably go to new penalties introduced by the government: "It is more difficult and costly to pollute than before."
As the amount of pollutants discharged into the environment decreased, and old pollutants settled more deeply at the bottom of lakes and rivers, the traces that find their way into fish has been reduced.
He's observations in Beijing were partly confirmed by a new study from Wuhan , Hubei province, which straddles the Yangtze River.
In this month's Environmental Science and Pollution Research, scientists reported a near-absence of organochloride pesticides - among the deadliest pollutants in fish - in samples from Wuhan's biggest, dirtiest lake.
But the presence of heavy metals remained high, the same study found. The amount of arsenic and chromium, for instance, were "higher than the threshold of tolerable risk" and "indicated high carcinogenic risk via fish consumption".
Overdoses of antibiotics and growth hormones by mainland fish farmers was another serious issue. "Antibiotics can be worse than pesticides and heavy metals," said Professor Zhuang Shulin, lead scientist of the environmental toxicology group at Zhejiang University.
To maximise profits, most mainland aquaculture farms breed large numbers of fish in confined spaces. The abnormally high density increases the risk of diseases, that are controlled by the excessive use of drugs.
"Mixing antibiotics in animal feed is banned in Europe and the US, but Chinese authorities turn a blind eye," Zhuang said. "Eating fish drenched with antibiotics does not kill you immediately, but will have long term health effects such as damage to your organs and immune system."
Though scientists differ on whether mainland fish is edible or not, Professor Zhong Nanshan, former president of the Chinese Medical Association, shared a tip.
"I don't eat fish that look big and fat," he was quoted as saying by the Yangcheng Evening News.
"The negative effects in humans are surfacing … If we don't deal with the issue now, it will be too late."


Fewer toxic substances found in China's fish, say scientists

No fish story: researchers say there is a noticeable drop in pesticides and heavy metals in the mainland's fish samples. Photo: Bruce Yan

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China

People & Culture

The government's new pollution penalties may be making fish a safer dish on the mainland


Fewer toxic substances found in China's fish, say scientists

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The government's new pollution penalties may be making fish a safer dish on the mainland

The government's new pollution penalties may be making fish a safer dish on the mainland