The speakers with the president and managing director of ANACEF, Juan Carlos Martín Fragueiro - first from the right

Experts Debunk Myths at Seafood Expo, Defending Fish as 'Complete and Sustainable Food'

SPAIN
Friday, May 09, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

• ANACEF gathers scientists and communicators in Barcelona to promote an evidence-based narrative, combating unjustified fear of fish.

• "In 25 years of consulting, I haven't seen a single case of anisakis allergy in properly cooked or frozen fish," states Dr. Álvaro Daschner, allergist at the Hospital Universitario La Princesa.

Barcelona - In an era of food misinformation, the Fisheries Producers Organization ANACEF OPP43 presented robust scientific data to vindicate the intrinsic value of fish. Under the slogan "The Value of Fish: Evidence versus Alarmism," ANACEF organized a debate at the Seafood Expo Global, bringing together renowned researchers to dismantle unfounded fears and reaffirm fish as what it truly is: the most complete food nutritionally and the most sustainable from an environmental perspective.

A moment from the debate on the false myths about fish. Photo: ANACEF

The session, moderated by science communicator Déborah García, began with a direct critique of the dominant discourse: "We know that fish offers protection against cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and even Alzheimer's. However, when searching for information about fish, alarming headlines about mercury or anisakis are usually the first things we find."

Allergist Álvaro Daschner, from the Hospital Universitario La Princesa, was emphatic: "There is no allergy to anisakis in properly cooked or frozen fish. In over 25 years of clinical practice, I have not witnessed a single case. The risk lies in poorly processed raw fish, and it is completely avoidable. The problem is not anisakis itself, but the unjustified fear that has been generated around it."

Déborah García provided concrete data on the negative impact of alarmism on consumption, citing a study by the Spanish Federation of Nutrition Societies that revealed that 10% of respondents had reduced their fish intake due to fear of mercury, and 6% due to anisakis, despite both risks being effectively mitigated with simple measures. "We are losing consumption due to fears that do not correspond to scientific reality," she warned.

The debate also addressed the remarkable efficiency of fish in terms of water footprint, being lower than even that of fruits and vegetables. "And if we analyze the carbon footprint per unit of protein, fish proves to be up to ten times more efficient than other animal protein sources," it was explained during the session.

Researcher Ana Ramos, from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, focused on the impact of fishing on vulnerable marine ecosystems, arguing that the Spanish fleet operates with practices respectful of the seabed, driven by a "fishing culture and an intrinsic commitment to sustainability, beyond mere obligation."

Specifically, she detailed a study area in Mauritania, investigated by her team for over a decade and where ANACEF vessels operate: "In Mauritania, highly important vulnerable ecosystems have been identified and mapped, including an extensive coral reef of almost 600 kilometers. We have found that ANACEF trawlers operating in that area do not fish on the coral reef or directly impact these very delicate ecosystems."

The day concluded with a call for synergistic collaboration between the fishing sector, the scientific community, and the media. "The challenge lies not only in what is communicated, but also in what is omitted. We need to intensify informative campaigns, increase the presence of experts in the media, and develop a unified strategy to defend a food that is essential for our health and the future of the planet," García summarized.

With this initiative, ANACEF reaffirmed the need for a dissemination model based on verifiable data, credibility, and transparency, with the aim of strengthening consumer confidence in fish and counteracting the harmful impact of misinformation. This was emphasized by both the president of ANACEF, Francisco Freire, and its managing director, Juan Carlos Martín Fragueiro, who highlighted the urgency of promoting a rigorous debate, with science as a fundamental ally, to protect a food crucial for public health and the prosperity of the fishing sector.

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