Mercury levels in New Zealand snapper Chrysophrys auratus

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Abstract
The New Zealand snapper Chrysophrys auratus is the object of a major fishery and contributes approximately 30% of the annual landed weight of fin‐fish. Samples of 65 fish from 7 localities on the New Zealand coast were analysed for mercury. Though there is an increase in mercury concentration with size of fish, the larger, older individuals with relatively high mercury levels contribute only a small proportion to the landed catch. Therefore, in establishing the average concentration of mercury in fish, due weight should be accorded to the differences in size composition of the catch. On this basis the average levels of mercury in snapper offered for human consumption are of the order of 0.25 ppm. As this is only half the “permissible safe level” of most other countries where fish consumption is much higher, the risk to the New Zealand consumer is negligible.

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