Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH)

Campaign Promotes Eating Safer Fish

August 17, 2022

Interviewees: Elizabeth Shapiro-Garza, Ph.D., and Veronica Carter

In this episode, we hear from Elizabeth Shapiro-Garza, Ph.D., from Duke University, and Veronica Carter, with the North Carolina Coastal Federation. They discuss “Stop, Check, Enjoy!” a campaign to help fishers in southeastern North Carolina understand the risks of consuming certain fish from the Cape Fear River. They also share tips on how to choose, prepare, and cook fish to reduce exposure to harmful contaminants.

Campaign Promotes Eating Safer Fish

Fishing is a beloved recreational activity, important cultural touchstone, and for some, a way to include a nutritious and low-cost source of protein in their diet. However, some fish live in polluted waters and may contain mercury and other contaminants that can harm human health. Fish consumption advisories can help people understand what fish are safe to eat and in what quantities.

In this episode, we hear from Elizabeth Shapiro-Garza, Ph.D., from Duke University, and Veronica Carter, with the North Carolina Coastal Federation. They discuss “Stop, Check, Enjoy!!,” a campaign to help fishers in southeastern North Carolina understand the risks of consuming certain fish from the Cape Fear River. They also share tips on how to choose, prepare, and cook fish to reduce exposure to harmful contaminants.

Interviewees:

Elizabeth Shapiro-Garza, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. She is also director of the Community Engagement Core within the NIEHS-funded Duke University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center. Shapiro-Garza has over twenty years of experience in community engagement. Her expertise is in community-based participatory research, translating science for low-literacy groups, and teaching community engagement practice and theory.

Veronica Carter is a board member of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, a nonprofit organization focused on protecting and restoring the North Carolina coast. She also serves on the Duke SRP Center Community Advisory Board, which helps ensure center research and activities align with community needs. Carter is committed to pursuing environmental justice for communities in southeastern North Carolina and works to empower and educate residents on how the environment affects health. In November 2019, Carter was elected as a Councilmember for the Town of Leland, North Carolina.

Carter is a former Civil Servant and retired Army officer with over 39 years’ experience in managing complex logistics operations. She has served on the Board of Directors for Cape Fear and Brunswick County’s Habitat for Humanity, and Town of Leland’s Parks and Recreation Board. The Governor of North Carolina appointed Veronica to the Coastal Resources Commission (2008-2012), and she serves on the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Board.

Resources:

• Check out the Stop, Check, Enjoy! campaign resources – including videos, recipes, and more – on the Duke SRP webpage.
• Read a July 2022 NIEHS Environmental Factor article describing how three NIEHS-funded universities are working together to better understand the process of setting fish consumption advisories and barriers to effectively communicating them.
• For listeners in North Carolina, check fish consumption advisories for your area on the NC Department of Health and Human Services and NC Wildlife Resource Commission webpages. Listeners from other areas should check the fish consumption advisories developed by their state and local government agencies.