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[...]
Good for You, Good for the Oceans
Combining the work of conservation and public health organizations, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has identified seafood
that is "Super Green," meaning that it is good for human health and does not
harm the oceans. The Super Green list highlights products that are currently on
the Seafood Watch "Best Choices" (green) list, are low in environmental
contaminants and are good sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. [...]
Contaminants in Seafood
Seafood contaminants include metals (such as mercury, which affects brain function and development), industrial chemicals
(PCBs and dioxins) and pesticides (DDT). These toxins usually originate on land and make their way into the smallest plants and animals at the base of the ocean
food web. As smaller species are eaten by larger ones, con- taminants are concentrated and accumulated. Large predatory fish — like swordfish and shark — end up with the most toxins.
You can minimize risks by choosing seafood carefully. Use [the] Super Green list and learn more about contaminants in seafood on the
EDF website.
The Super Green list includes seafood that meets the following three criteria:
- Low levels of contami-
nants (below 216 parts per billion
[ppb] mercury and 11 ppb PCBs)
- The daily minimum of omega-3s (at least 250 milligrams per
day [mg/d])*
*The "Super Green" list is based on dietary require- ments for an average woman of childbearing age (18- 45, 154 pounds) eating 8 ounces of fish per week.
The list also applies to men and children; children should eat age-appropriate portions to maximize their health benefits while minimizing risk. The recommendation of 250 mg of
omega-3s refers to the combined level of two omega-3s of primary importance to human health: eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA).
**Other Healthy "Best Choices" are low in contami- nants and provide a smaller amount of omega-3s (between 100 and 250 mg/d, assuming 8 ounces of fish per week)
Contaminant data are from EDF, drawn from more than 250 government databases and peer-reviewed scientific studies on seafood contaminants.
Omega-3 data are primarily from the USDA Nutrient Database. |
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30 September 2009
Last Update and Complete Link Check: 10 May 2012 |
What Fish Are Safe To Eat?
Selected Lists and Resources |
This page presents selected lists and resources regarding contaminated fish and healthy fish consumption what fish are safe to eat, what fish should be consumed in moderation,
and what fish should be avoided. This information was compiled for personal use. Readers are encouraged to visit the original sites for updates. |
What fish to eat, and how often...
Environmental Defense Fund, founded in 1967, works directly with businesses, government and communities
to create lasting solutions to the most serious environmental problems. Their seafood guide, the Seafood Selector, covers
the most common kinds of U.S. seafood to help you choose fish that are good for you and the ocean.
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Fish is generally healthy to eat, but you should eat some types infrequently, if at all. This chart lists the most contaminated fish,
and how much can safely be eaten each month (assuming no other contaminated fish is consumed). The advice is based on guidance from
the Environmental Protection Agency and the latest mercury and PCB data. See the green sections below for safer seafood options. [...]
These fish are also safe to eat at least once per week: anchovies, clams, Dungeness crab, king crab (U.S.), snow crab, Pacific cod, crawfish (U.S.), Atlantic herring (Canada/U.S.), spiny lobster
(Australia/Baja/U.S.), Atlantic mackerel, blue mussels, farmed oysters, Alaska pollock, canned pink/sockeye salmon, sardines, scallops, shrimp (Canada/U.S.), squid, tilapia (Latin America/U.S.). [...]
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Greenpeace
Oceans contain the planet's most diverse ecosystems and are home to an estimated 90 per cent of the Earth's living organisms, many of which are essential to human survival. Earth's oceans
are in peril because global fishing operations take 2.5 times more fish and seafood than is sustainable. Ninety per cent of large, commercially valuable species such as cod, tuna and swordfish
have vanished from the oceans, and 27 million tonnes of marine life are caught incidentally and thrown overboard dead or dying each year.1 [PDF]
While a sea change is beginning behind seafood counters, a walk through most supermarkets still reveals an array of
overfished, destructively fished or farmed, and in many cases illegally sourced seafood. And this includes stores of even our
top ranked chains. This is why Greenpeace is urging retailers to keep up the momentum and act faster to remove Redlist
seafood from sale, adopt policies to avoid having such products line their shelves in the future, communicate sustainability
requirements to their suppliers, and help customers adjust their tastes – choosing sustainable seafood rather than more popular
but unsustainable options. | |
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Consumer Guide to Mercury in Fish
PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY
Consumer Guide to Mercury in Fish
The list below shows the amount of various types of fish that a woman who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant can safely eat, according to the Environmental Protection
Agency. People with small children who want to use the list as a guide should reduce portion sizes. Adult men, and women who are not planning to become pregnant, are less at risk
from mercury exposure but may wish to refer to the list for low-mercury choices.
Protecting yourself -- and the fish: Certain fish, even some that are low in mercury, make poor choices for other reasons, most often because they have been fished so extensively that
their numbers are perilously low. These fish are marked with an asterisk (read more below).
This list applies to fish caught and sold commercially. For information about fish you catch yourself, check for advisories in your state. |
LEAST MERCURY
Enjoy these fish:
Anchovies
Butterfish
Catfish
Clam
Crab (Domestic)
Crawfish/Crayfish
Croaker (Atlantic)
Flounder*
Haddock (Atlantic)*
Hake
Herring
Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
Mullet
Oyster
Perch (Ocean)
Plaice
Pollock
Salmon (Canned)**
Salmon (Fresh)**
Sardine
Scallop*
Shad (American)
Shrimp*
Sole (Pacific)
Squid (Calamari)
Tilapia
Trout (Freshwater)
Whitefish
Whiting |
MODERATE MERCURY
Eat six servings or less per month:
Bass (Striped, Black)
Carp
Cod (Alaskan)*
Croaker (White Pacific)
Halibut (Atlantic)*
Halibut (Pacific)
Jacksmelt (Silverside)
Lobster
Mahi Mahi
Monkfish*
Perch (Freshwater)
Sablefish
Skate*
Snapper*
Tuna (Canned chunk light)
Tuna (Skipjack)*
Weakfish (Sea Trout) |
HIGH MERCURY
Eat three servings or less per month:
Bluefish
Grouper*
Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
Sea Bass (Chilean)*
Tuna (Canned Albacore)
Tuna (Yellowfin)* |
HIGHEST MERCURY
Avoid eating:
Mackerel (King)
Marlin*
Orange Roughy*
Shark*
Swordfish*
Tilefish*
Tuna
(Bigeye, Ahi)* |
* Fish in Trouble! These fish are perilously low in numbers or are caught using environmentally destructive methods. To learn more, see the Monterey Bay
Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute, both of which provide guides to fish to enjoy or avoid on the basis of environmental factors.

** Farmed Salmon may contain PCB's, chemicals with serious long-term health effects. |
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Sources for NRDC's guide: The data for this guide to mercury in fish comes from two federal agencies: the Food and Drug Administration, which tests fish for mercury,
and the Environmental Protection Agency, which determines mercury levels that it considers safe for women of childbearing age.
About the mercury-level categories: The categories on the list (least mercury to highest mercury) are determined according to the following mercury levels in the flesh of tested fish.
Least mercury: Less than 0.09 parts per million
Moderate mercury: From 0.09 to 0.29 parts per million
High mercury: From 0.3 to 0.49 parts per million
Highest mercury: More than .5 parts per million | | | | |
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The Marine Conservation Society's definitive guide to sustainable seafood. This App tells you which fish are good to eat, and which to avoid based on whether they come from well managed, sustainable
stocks or farms. Includes almost every fish you could hope to find in UK shops, restaurants and markets.
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