Introduction: Focus and objectives of workshop

During the past decade, two types of information have accumulated that provide the stimulus for this workshop: pathological and epizootiological data showing that some important food fishes in certain habitats have high prevalences of neoplasms; and analytical chemistry data showing that the edible tissues ofsome food fishes contain known carcinogens and/or cancer promoters in measurable, though not usually alarming quantities. Both of these types of information, coming in some instances from the same fish, have been interpreted to support a postulate, made 25 years ago, that fishes in particular locations are being exposed to anthropogenic carcinogens contaminating their environments and that certain fish species may serve as indicators of carcinogenic contaminants in aquatic habitats. This workshop, however, will focus not on the question of fishes and other aquatic animals as indicators of carcinogens, but on the question of their possible health effects as conveyors of carcinogens to human consumers. For several years, chemists and pathologists have been asking themselves a question that is now comingback to themfrom the public, usually passed on and oftendramatizedby thenewsmedia: Ifoneeats fishor shellfishthat come from locations where these animals have high cancer prevalences, does one runan increasedriskofdeveloping cancer? Answers to this question have been attempted by individual scientists, but have been variable, sometimes not in agreement, often couched in cautious qualifying terms, and, from the consumer's point ofview, not very helpful. The most consistent and probably the most objective answer at present is: No one knows, because the information and sometimes the technology available are inadequate to make valid assessments. Where, then, can scientists, public health workers, commercial and sport fishers, fisheries managers, and consumers go to obtain the basic information required to make an interim judgment? What investigations have been done up to now that shed at least some light on the problem? What studies have to be done to generate additional and more salient information that will make a more useful answer possible? The objective of this workshop is to address the informational needs implicit in the three questions posed. We cannot reasonably expect to arrive at a single, valid broad-spectrum risk assessment for consumers of many varieties of aquatic food supplies, taken from various habitats, in various quantities, and consumed under various conditions of culinary modification.