Smart Shopper's Fish Picks
about THE GREEN GUIDE STAFF
More By THE GREEN GUIDE STAFF
Updated June 2007
Our just-updated fish list suggesting best choices for your health and that of the seas' is now available in an interactive form for mobile phones as well as a printable PDF download (see sidebar). Fish provide essential nutrients and fatty acids, especially for developing bodies and brains, so check out our "Yes" fish and enjoy the many options available.
Jump to:
YES Fish
NO Fish
SOMETIMES Fish
| YES Fish |
| Low mercury (L), not overfished or farmed destructively |
| Abalone (farmed) L |
| Anchovies L |
| Arctic char (farmed) L |
| Barramundi (U.S. farmed) L |
| Catfish (U.S. farmed) L |
| Caviar (U.S. or French farmed) L |
| Clams, soft-shell and steamers (farmed) L |
| Crab, Dungeness (U.S. , trapcaught) L |
| Crab, imitation (AK, wild-caught) L |
| Crab, snow (Canada) L |
| Crab, stone (FL) L |
| Crawfish (U.S. farmed) L |
| Croaker (Atlantic) L |
| Cuttlefish L |
| Herring L |
| Hoki L |
| Lobster, spiny/rock (U.S., Australia, Baja west coast) L |
| Mackerel, Atlantic (purse seine-caught) L |
| Mussels (U.S. farmed) L |
| Oysters (Pacific farmed) L |
| Pollock (AK, wild-caught) L |
| Prawn, spot (BC, wild-caught) L |
| Salmon (AK, wild-caught) L |
| Sardines L |
| Scad, big-eye and mackerel (HI) |
| Scallops, bay (U.S. farmed) L |
| Shrimp, pink (OR, wild-caught) L |
| Squid, longfin (U.S. Atlantic) L |
| Striped bass (farmed) L |
| Sturgeon (farmed) L |
| Tilapia (U.S. farmed) L |
| Trout, rainbow (U.S. farmed) L |
| SOMETIMES Fish |
| Recovering and/or moderate mercury (M) - once/month |
| Bluefish M |
| Calamari L |
| Clams (caught) L |
| Cod (Pacific) M |
| Crab, blue (Gulf Coast) M |
| Crab, king (AK) L |
| Crab, kona (HI, Australia) L |
| Crab, snow (AK) L |
| Flounder (Pacific) L |
| Haddock (hook and line) |
| Hake, silver, red and offshore (wildcaught) L |
| Halibut (Pacific, wild-caught) M |
| Jacksmelt M |
| Lobster, Maine M |
| Mackerel, Spanish (Atlantic) M |
| Mahimahi (troll-caught) M |
| Mussels, blue M |
| Octopus (HI, Gulf of California; wild-caught) L |
| Pomfret, big scale |
| Prawn, spot (U.S., wild-caught) L |
| Sablefish/black cod M |
| Salmon (CA, OR,WA; wild-caught) L |
| Sanddabs L |
| Scup/Porgy |
| Shrimp (U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico; farmed or trawl-caught) L |
| Shrimp, northern (Canadian and U.S. Atlantic; wild-caught) L |
| Sole (Pacific) L |
| Squid, jumbo (Gulf of California) |
| Tilapia (Central America farmed) L |
| Trevally L |
| Tuna (canned light) M |
| Tuna (troll-caught Pacific albacore) M |
| NO Fish |
| Overfished, farmed destructively and/or high mercury (MM) |
| Arctic char (freshwater) MM |
| Basa (China farmed) |
| Bass/sea bass MM |
| Catfish (China farmed) |
| Catfish (wild) MM |
| Caviar (Russian/Iranian) L |
| Chilean sea bass MM |
| Cod (Atlantic) M |
| Conch, queen L |
| Crab, king (imported) L |
| Crawfish (farmed, imported) L |
| Croaker (Pacific) MM |
| Dace (China farmed) |
| Eel (China farmed) |
| Flounder (Atlantic) PCBs L |
| Grenadier |
| Groupers MM |
| Gulf corvina (white sea bass) |
| Haddock (trawl-caught) L |
| Hake, white |
| Halibut (Atlantic) MM |
| Lobster (Caribbean) L |
| Lobster, spiny (all imports but Australia) L |
| Mackerel, king and Spanish (Gulf of Mexico) MM |
| Mahimahi (imported longline) M |
| Marlin MM |
| Monkfish M |
| Octopus (imported, trawl-caught) L |
| Opah MM |
| Orange roughy MM |
| Oysters (eastern, Gulf Coast) |
| PCBs, MM |
| Pike MM |
| Pompano, Florida M |
| Rockfish (Pacific red snapper; trawl-caught) M |
| Salmon (farmed) PCBs, Great Lakes M |
| Scallops, sea (U.S., mid-Atlantic) |
| Sea turtles |
| Shark MM, |
| Shrimp (imported) L |
| Skate M |
| Snapper (red or imported) M |
| Sole (Atlantic) L |
| Sturgeon (wild-caught) L |
| Swordfish MM |
| Tilapia (China, Taiwan farmed) L |
| Tilefish MM |
| Totoaba |
| Tuna, albacore, bigeye, bluefin, yellowfin MM |
| Turbot (Greenland halibut) L |
| Yellow perch MM |
Warnings are based on populations of highest concern (children and women who are pregnant, nursing or of childbearing age). To learn which fish from local water bodies are safe to eat, call your state department of health, or see www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish. Besides mercury, toxins can include PCBs, dioxins and pesticides.
In compiling this list, The Green Guide referred to resources at the Web sites of the Food and Drug Administration, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Environmental Working Group, Environmental Defense and Oceana among others.
Smart Shopper's Card | posted July 17, 2006
The Green Guide To Go
FREE Weekly E-Newsletter
Special Advertising Sections
 |
INTERACTIVE MAPExplore the signs of and solutions to the world’s water crisis. |
 |
INTERACTIVE MAP |
