Mercury in Caribbean Cetaceans Caught For Human Consumption

     The Caribbean island of St. Vincent practices an ongoing, legal cetacean take, targeting several whale and dolphin species for human consumption. This operation allows researchers almost-unmatched, consistent access to... [ view full abstract ]

     The Caribbean island of St. Vincent practices an ongoing, legal cetacean take, targeting several whale and dolphin species for human consumption. This operation allows researchers almost-unmatched, consistent access to carcasses of healthy cetaceans taken regularly from the wild as opposed to the more common source of tissue procurement: intermittent strandings. There is little information about the potential health risks of these foods in St. Vincent, nor is the impact of the take on resident and migratory cetacean stocks well understood. However, the results of this study will help provide this lacking information. In 2016, using material collected through this whaling operation over the course of a year, I analyzed 133 samples of muscle, liver, kidney, and blubber from five cetacean species for both total mercury and methylmercury. Here, we report high concentrations of both types of mercury in these tissues as compared to published data for other seafood products. Our findings highlight the potential for negative human health effects related to the consumption of these cetacean-based food products in St. Vincent and also raise questions related to the interactions among human health, subsistence, and cetacean conservation in Eastern Caribbean.