22 min listen
From the archive: What are the hidden costs of our obsession with fish oil pills?
FromScience Weekly
ratings:
Length:
17 minutes
Released:
Aug 16, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
They may be one of the world’s favourite supplements but, according to a study from earlier this year, more than one in 10 fish oil capsules are rancid. Most of the oil comes from Peruvian anchovetas, a type of anchovy that is also used to feed pigs, poultry and farmed fish. And despite catching more than 4m tonnes a year of anchovetas to cater to the global demand, large industry players want to scale this up even further. In this episode from January 2022, Madeleine Finlay speaks to environment journalist Richa Syal about why so many fish oil pills are rancid, and hears from journalist Dan Collyns in Chimbote, Peru, about how the industry is affecting the local environment and its residents. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
Released:
Aug 16, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
From the archive: Are national parks failing nature? (part 1): The climate crisis is ‘unequivocally’ caused by human activities, according to a report from the IPCC. One attempt to conserve the environment, being pushed by Boris Johnson, is to protect 30% of UK land in a boost for biodiversity. A Guardian exclusive found that an area twice the size of Greater London is devoted to grouse shooting in UK national parks, which threatens efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Patrick Greenfield and Phoebe Weston investigate whether national parks benefit the environment and biodiversity, or if there might be a better way of doing things by Science Weekly