Fish and Shellfish: 6 to Eat, 6 to Avoid

The Best and the Worst Seafood Choices

A number of environmental organizations have created lists that help identify fish that are sustainable and those that are not. In October 2009, Seafood Watch, the program run by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, combined data from leading health organizations and environmental groups to come up with the list “Super Green: Best of the Best”: seafood that’s good for you and good for the environment.

6 “Super Green” Fish to Serve »

To make the list, fish must: a) have low levels of contaminants—below 216 parts per billion [ppb] mercury and 11 ppb PCBs; b) be high in omega-3s; and c) come from a sustainable fishery.

Many other options are on the program’s list of “Best Choices” (seafoodwatch.org). The Blue Ocean Institute (blueocean.org) also has sustainability ratings and detailed information.

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