How to Choose Fish That are Safe to Eat

Choosing fish used to be simple. Fish like tuna and trout were good low-fat choices while fatty fish like salmon provided healthful omega-3 fatty acids. But now, due to the rising levels of mercury found in fish, the problems of fishing farms and overfishing, it can be hard to choose which type of fish are both an environmentally sound and beneficial choice. Rather than damaging your health., here are some tips and suggestions on how to choose fish that are safe to eat.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• *Internet connection
• *Phone with text messaging

How to Choose Fish That are Safe to Eat

1. Avoid farm-raised fish. These fish live their short lives in overcrowded pens. Farmed fish have been known to develop health problems ranging from the antibiotics that promote PCB s, dioxin, and other cancer-causing agents to lice infestations The methods employed by fish farms also disturbs the delicate ecosystems that wild fish inhabit. It is not uncommon for farm-raised fish to escape its pen and disturb a wild school of fish.
2. Avoid fish known to consistently have high levels of mercury. These fish primarily include Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, and Tilefish. Women who are pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should especially avoid these fish altogether. You also might be surprised that the tuna in sushi might also have high level of mercury.
3. Research the Environmental Defense Fund that tackles issues like global warming, endangered species, and protecting our oceans. They have a have a list you can print out that lists fish you can eat regularly, occasionally and those to avoid. For instance, a Chilean sea bass is not a good choice because its population has over fished. Unless you can find a MSC-certified Chilean sea bass, a safe eating choice, you should avoid this fish.
4. Use FishPhone text messaging from Blue Ocean. Text the name of the fish or shellfish to the number 30644. You should then get a text back that rates the fish: green, which mean it's fine to buy, yellow, which means caution, and red, which means you should certainly not buy it because it is not environmentally sound or it might be toxic.

Tips & Warnings

• *Avoid frying fish as the process destroys the omega-3 benefits.
• *If you see "ocean-raised" fish for sale, note that it is really "farm-raised." This is simply a new marketing ploy. Farm-raised fish in pens in the ocean. It must say "wild" if it is not farm-raised.
• *Your fishmonger should know the origins of the fish. If she or he claims not to, avoid buying it.