Bonefish off the coast of Florida in USA - positive reaction to antidepressants and antihypertensive drugs

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

米フロリダ州沖のソトイワシ、抗うつ薬や降圧薬の陽性反応

2022.05.30 Mon posted at 17:29 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 米フロリダ国際大学が魚類保護団体と共同で行った調査で、フロリダ州の沿岸部に生息するソトイワシから、抗うつ薬や降圧薬といった処方薬の成分が検出された。

ソトイワシは大西洋や太平洋に広く生息する魚で、同大と保護団体のＢＴＴは２０１８年から３年がかりで、同州南東部のビスケーン湾と南部のフロリダキーズ沿岸に生息するソトイワシ９３匹の血液と組織を採取して調査した。

その結果、ソトイワシ１匹あたりの平均で、高血圧薬、抗うつ薬、前立腺治療薬、抗生剤、鎮痛剤など７種類の医薬品成分が検出された。全部で１７種類の医薬品が組織から検出された個体も１匹いた。

この調査結果について同大の専門家は、深刻な海洋汚染問題と位置付ける。「医薬品の脅威は、藻類や海水の濁りと違って目に見えない。しかし今回の結果は、私たちの漁業に対する恐ろしい脅威を物語り、長年の排水インフラ問題に対応する差し迫った対応の必要性を浮き彫りにした」（フロリダ国際大学のジェニファー・リヘイジ准教授）

医薬品汚染はソトイワシの習性に悪影響を及ぼす恐れもある。

ソトイワシは乱獲や生息地の減少、海洋汚染によって個体数が減り、国際自然保護連合（ＩＵＣＮ）のレッドリストで「準絶滅危惧種」に分類されている。

フロリダ州魚類野生生物保護委員会によると、ソトイワシは１３年以来、釣った魚をその場で放流しなければならない「キャッチ・アンド・リリース」種に指定されている。

Translation

(CNN) A study conducted by Florida International University in collaboration with a fish conservation organization found components of prescription drugs such as antidepressants and antihypertensive drugs in the bonefish living at the coast of Florida.

Bonefish was a fish that inhabited the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean widely, and the BTT, a conservation group of the same university, had been for three years since 2018 collected and investigated the blood and tissues of 93 bonefish inhabiting Biscayne Bay in the southeastern part of the state and the Florida Keys coast in the south.

As a result, seven kinds of pharmaceutical components such as hypertension drug, antidepressant drug, prostate therapeutic drug, antibiotic drug, and analgesic drug were detected on average per bonefish. There was one individual in which had a total of 17 kinds of medicines being detected in the tissues.

Experts at the same university regarded the results of this survey showing a serious marine pollution problem. "The threat of medicines is invisible, unlike algae and seawater turbidity, but our results speak of a terrifying threat to our fishery and highlight the urgent need to address long-standing drainage infrastructure problems. "(Associate Professor Jennifer Rehage, Florida International University)

Drug contamination could also adversely affect the habits of bonefish.

Overfishing and habitat loss, also marine pollution had reduced the population of bonefish which had been classified as a "quasi-endangered species" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, bonefish had been designated since 2013 as a "catch and release" species in that fish caught must be released on the spot.

So, a study conducted by Florida International University finds components of prescription drugs such as antidepressants and antihypertensive drugs in the bonefish (Albula vulpes) that is living at the coast of Florida. It indicates that pollution is serious in that region.