Off the Urban Grid

Seafood Watch: The Best Fish Choices

The oceans and lakes are so polluted it makes you wonder what fish are okay to eat or if any seafood is safe from toxins at this point? Whether you catch your own fish or buy it from a grocery store, it’s important to know some important tips to help you choose the healthiest seafood. One rule of thumb to follow is if you don’t know much about the fish such as where it came from then don’t consume it.

Before eating or purchasing seafood, find out where it is from, how it was caught, and if it was farmed or wild-caught. Making conscious choices to either catch your own or buy seafood from fisheries and fish farms that are more eco-friendly can make a difference in the fish market. As a consumer, you have the ability to demand the best by being choosier with your purchases.

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Guide 2006, some of the healthiest fish choices include the following: Catfish (U.S. farmed), Clams (farmed), Crab (Dungeness and Snow from Canada), Halibut (Pacific), Herring (Atlantic/Sardines), Lobster (Spiny from U.S.), Tilapia (farmed) and Tuna (Albacore Bigeye and Yellofin that is troll/pole-caught). Ones you want to avoid include the Chilean Seabass/Toothfish, Atlantic Cod, King Crab, Haddock, Atlantic Halibut, Monkfish, Sharks and Skates, Shrimp, Swordfish and Bluefin Tuna.

The reason for avoiding these specific fish is because they are often overfished and not caught or farmed in an eco-friendly way. In addition, fish such as shark and bluefin tuna need to be eaten less often out of concern for mercury and other contaminant levels. If you have access to a lake or ocean, you might want to consider fishing on a regular basis for the healthier fish choices. Making healthier decisions for you and your family can reduce your exposure to toxins and support more ethical fisheries or encourage people to do their own fishing.

Tags: healthy oceans, safe seafood, seafood