Fish can be a great addition to a healthy diet because they provide essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, dementia, age-related macular degeneration, and rheumatoid arthritis. However, some fish should be avoided. Due to industrial activities like coal power plants, smelting, and waste incineration, mercury has contaminated many waterways and, consequently, the fish living in them. Mercury enters the marine food chain and “bioaccumulates,” meaning that as small fish are eaten by larger fish, the mercury concentration increases at each step. Eating too much mercury can be harmful and cause mercury poisoning. That’s why the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have set guidelines on safe mercury consumption levels, and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) offers recommendations on which fish to avoid.
What to Use Instead of Atlantic Cod
The issue with Atlantic cod isn’t mainly about health concerns—it’s largely about environmental impact and declining fish populations. This species has been heavily harvested for over a thousand years, leading to a major fishery collapse in the late 1990s. Although fishing has been significantly limited since then, Atlantic cod has had difficulty recovering. Experts agree that this collapse deeply disrupted the North Atlantic food chain, and the species is now classified as vulnerable to extinction.
Top Choices to Replace Halibut, Flounder, and Sole
This is another example of overfishing combined with significant waste. In commercial fishing, there’s a problem known as “wasted bycatch”—this happens when non-target fish or marine animals are accidentally caught. In the U.S. alone, fisheries discard around 2 billion pounds of bycatch each year, which could amount to roughly half a billion meals. One of the worst offenders is the California gillnet fishery, which targets halibut. If you’ve eaten halibut in the U.S., chances are it came from this source.
What to Use Instead of Traditional Caviar
Caviar comes from the eggs of the Beluga Sturgeon, a prehistoric fish that can live up to a century. These eggs are extremely valuable and can sell for thousands of dollars per pound. Due to high demand, the Beluga Sturgeon is now critically at risk of extinction. The same threat applies to several other sturgeon species as well.
Delicious Fish Like Eel, You Can Try
Eel is a fish you might want to skip when ordering sushi. Because eels mature slowly, they have been overfished in many regions, leading to population declines. This is concerning since eels help spread mussels, which naturally filter water. Additionally, eels tend to accumulate harmful chemicals and pollutants in their bodies, so much so that in some areas, people are advised to limit their eel consumption to just once a year.
Smart Swaps for Basa, Swai, Tra, and Striped Catfish
Often, these fish are generically labeled as “catfish” and are best avoided. A 2016 study revealed that 70 to 80 percent of them were contaminated with Vibrio bacteria, the primary cause of most shellfish poisoning cases.
Sustainable Choices Instead of Imported Farmed Shrimp
Several pesticides are commonly used in shrimp farming worldwide, but all except one are banned in the United States. Additionally, these shrimp are frequently treated with high levels of antibiotics, meaning handling raw shrimp can expose you to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
What to Choose Instead of Imported King Crab
About 75% of the crab sold in the U.S. is imported from Russia, where unsustainable fishing is widespread. Only crab caught in Alaska can legitimately be labeled “Alaskan King Crab.” However, mislabeling happens frequently, so it’s crucial to verify the crab’s origin. If the label says both “imported” and “Alaskan,” it’s a red flag, and you should avoid purchasing it.
Looking Beyond Orange Roughy? Here Are Your Best Seafood Options
These fish can live for many decades and usually don’t reach sexual maturity until they are around twenty years old. Due to their slow reproduction, they have been heavily overfished and struggle greatly to bounce back. Additionally, Orange Roughy is known to contain high levels of mercury.
Shark-Free Seafood: Best Fish to Try Now
As apex predators, sharks tend to accumulate high levels of mercury. Additionally, because they mature and reproduce slowly, overfishing has significantly reduced their populations.
Smart Seafood Swaps for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Bluefin tuna populations have been heavily overfished and are now classified as highly vulnerable to extinction. Being large predators, they also tend to accumulate high levels of mercury.
Top Eco-Friendly Fish to Swap for Swordfish
Swordfish is another predatory fish known for high mercury levels. The Environmental Defense Fund advises that women and children avoid eating swordfish entirely, while men should limit their consumption to no more than once a month.
Protect the Oceans: Fish You Can Eat Instead of King Mackerel
Both King Mackerel and Spanish Mackerel contain elevated mercury levels and are best avoided, particularly by women and children.
Best Seafood Swaps for Grouper
Grouper contains moderately high levels of mercury and faces threats from overfishing. It is also frequently involved in seafood mislabeling, with many “grouper” products actually being cheaper fish sold under false names. Research has shown that up to 87% of seafood labeled as grouper, cod, or snapper may be mislabeled.
The Connection Between Selenium and Mercury Poisoning
If you enjoy eating fish but worry about mercury toxicity, there’s some encouraging news—many commonly consumed fish are rich in selenium, which might help reduce the absorption of excess mercury. However, this doesn’t mean you can freely eat large amounts of high-mercury fish. Occasionally eating fish with higher mercury levels while also getting enough selenium may help lessen harmful effects.
The key takeaway is this: eating fish high in selenium but low to moderately high in mercury generally poses a lower risk. In contrast, consuming fish that have high mercury but low selenium, such as shark, should be avoided or eaten very sparingly.
Best Seafood Choices to Increase in Your Meals
This doesn’t mean you need to stop eating fish entirely, but it does emphasize the importance of checking labels and knowing the source of your seafood. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, Pacific sardines, and Atlantic mackerel are rich in omega-3s and other nutrients, while also having a lower environmental impact. Other great options include U.S. or Canadian-caught Albacore tuna, Alaska cod, Arctic char, and rainbow trout. For a detailed guide on the best seafood choices, including sourcing and production methods, the EDF Seafood Selector is a valuable resource.
In Summary
When selecting foods, it’s important to think not just about how they affect your health, but also their impact on the environment. As consumers, making responsible choices is essential to help protect our planet and all living creatures, ensuring a thriving world for future generations.
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