5 Endangered Fish You Should Avoid Eating
Choose a healthy alternative that you can feel good about with a seafood delivery from Legal Sea Foods Gourmet Gift Division, or a night out at one of many local restaurants you can find at Restaurant.com.
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Although low in fat and calories, seafood is high in protein and other nutrients, making it a heart-wise choice for lunch or dinner. Fish are also an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids. However, some of the more popular varieties, especially farm-raised fish, should be eaten in limited amounts, because they often contain mercury and other industrial toxins, like PCBs, that pose a public health risk. Yet other fish have become so popular that overfishing and irresponsible industry harvest methods are severely cutting their numbers and the numbers of other ocean species.
One way to tell your fish is harvested in a sustainable way, with careful fisheries maintenance, is to look for the Marine Stewardship Council certification seal. The council is a worldwide fisheries agency based in London.
Educate Yourself
The Environmental Defense Fund suggests avoiding these five popular fish when dining out or cooking seafood at home:
1. Chilean sea bass:
High levels of mercury, a slow growth rate and the use of damaging longlines by some fishing vessels makes this popular fish a poor choice for dinner. Plus, its popularity and the resulting high price also make Chilean sea bass a prime target for illegal fishing.
2. Grouper:
Again, mercury is a good reason to limit your consumption. Grouper also is unique in that the fish gather in large numbers to reproduce. This makes it easy for fishermen to maximize their catch, but it also prevents the groupers from spawning in sufficient numbers to keep the population strong. The United States has prohibited the fishing of two types: Nassau and Goliath grouper.
3. Farm-raised or Atlantic salmon:
Elevated levels of PCBs are found in most farm-raised salmon. That's because they are kept in tightly packed pens that can be exposed to runoff containing industrial and agricultural pollutants. Wild Atlantic salmon, meanwhile, have been fished to the point where they are on the Endangered Species List in the United States. Instead, buy wild Alaskan salmon, which is better maintained and managed.
4. Imported swordfish:
Longline fishing, used by much of the world to fish for these ocean predators, poses a serious danger to sea turtles, seabirds and sharks. The United States has rules against this type of fishing, and as a result, domestic swordfish are almost recovered from population depletion. Mercury can be a problem, too.
5. Yellowfin or bluefin tuna:
Both are popular among seafood lovers. However, yellowfin, or ahi, tuna is a common source for mercury, so limit your intake. Bluefin also has high levels of mercury, as well as PCBs, although it's a favorite for sushi or sashimi. Bluefin also draws a large market and good price, creating issues of illegal fishing, population depletion and underreporting of juvenile catches. They're slower-growing than other tunas, too, and have trouble reproducing as quickly as they are being fished.
To find Legal Sea Foods coupons or Restaurant.com coupons, visit UltimateCoupons.com
Shop Responsibly
Although low in fat and calories, seafood is high in protein and other nutrients, making it a heart-wise choice for lunch or dinner. Fish are also an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids. However, some of the more popular varieties, especially farm-raised fish, should be eaten in limited amounts, because they often contain mercury and other industrial toxins, like PCBs, that pose a public health risk. Yet other fish have become so popular that overfishing and irresponsible industry harvest methods are severely cutting their numbers and the numbers of other ocean species.
One way to tell your fish is harvested in a sustainable way, with careful fisheries maintenance, is to look for the Marine Stewardship Council certification seal. The council is a worldwide fisheries agency based in London.
Educate Yourself
The Environmental Defense Fund suggests avoiding these five popular fish when dining out or cooking seafood at home:
1. Chilean sea bass:
High levels of mercury, a slow growth rate and the use of damaging longlines by some fishing vessels makes this popular fish a poor choice for dinner. Plus, its popularity and the resulting high price also make Chilean sea bass a prime target for illegal fishing.
2. Grouper:
Again, mercury is a good reason to limit your consumption. Grouper also is unique in that the fish gather in large numbers to reproduce. This makes it easy for fishermen to maximize their catch, but it also prevents the groupers from spawning in sufficient numbers to keep the population strong. The United States has prohibited the fishing of two types: Nassau and Goliath grouper.
3. Farm-raised or Atlantic salmon:
Elevated levels of PCBs are found in most farm-raised salmon. That's because they are kept in tightly packed pens that can be exposed to runoff containing industrial and agricultural pollutants. Wild Atlantic salmon, meanwhile, have been fished to the point where they are on the Endangered Species List in the United States. Instead, buy wild Alaskan salmon, which is better maintained and managed.
4. Imported swordfish:
Longline fishing, used by much of the world to fish for these ocean predators, poses a serious danger to sea turtles, seabirds and sharks. The United States has rules against this type of fishing, and as a result, domestic swordfish are almost recovered from population depletion. Mercury can be a problem, too.
5. Yellowfin or bluefin tuna:
Both are popular among seafood lovers. However, yellowfin, or ahi, tuna is a common source for mercury, so limit your intake. Bluefin also has high levels of mercury, as well as PCBs, although it's a favorite for sushi or sashimi. Bluefin also draws a large market and good price, creating issues of illegal fishing, population depletion and underreporting of juvenile catches. They're slower-growing than other tunas, too, and have trouble reproducing as quickly as they are being fished.
To find Legal Sea Foods coupons or Restaurant.com coupons, visit UltimateCoupons.com
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