Safe Fish guide

Safe Fish guide

mercury levels in fish

High:

Tuna, fresh and frozen

King Mackerel

Shark

Swordfish

Tilefish

Low:

Catfish

Cod

Crab

Flounder

Grouper

Haddock

Herring

Lobster

Mahi-Mahi

Perch

Oysters

Rainbow Trout

Salmon

Sardines

Scallops

Shrimp

Spiny Lobster

Tilapia

Trout (farmed)

Tuna, canned (choose chunk or chunk light)

Women of child-bearing age as well as those who are pregnant or nursing should avoid fish that are typically high in mercury and restrict seafood consumption to eight ounces of uncooked or six ounces of cooked fish per week according to the EPA.

sustainable seafood guide

Safest choices:*

Catfish (farmed)

Caviar (farmed)

Clams (farmed)

Dungeness Crab

Snow Crab (Canada)

Stone Crab

Pacific Halibut

Spiny/Rock Lobster (US/Australia)

Mussels (farmed)

Oysters (farmed)

Salmon (Alaska, wild-caught)

Salmon (canned)

Sardines

Shrimp/Prawns (trap-caught or farmed)

Striped Bass (farmed)

Yellowtail Tuna (troll-caught)

Consume in moderation:

Amberjack

Clams (wild-caught)

Pacific Cod

Blue Crab

King Crab (Alaska)

Snow Crab (US)

Summer Flounder/Fluke

Haddock (New England)

Maine Lobster

Mahi-Mahi/Dolphinfish/Dorado

Oysters (wild-caught)

Pollock

Bay Scallops

Sea Scallops

Shrimp (U.S. wild-caught)

Pacific Soles

Tuna (canned)

Avoid:

Caviar (wild-caught)

Black Sea Bass

Chilean Sea Bass

Atlantic/Icelandic Cod

King Crab (imported)

Atlantic Flounders (except summer flounder)

Grouper

Atlantic Halibut

Monkfish

Orange Roughy

Pacific Rockfish/Rock Cod

Queen Conch

Salmon (farmed, Atlantic, and Pacific except Alaskan)

Sharks

Shrimp (imported or trawl caught)

Red Drum

Red Snapper

Atlantic Soles

Sturgeon (wild-caught)

Swordfish

Bluefin Tuna

Albacore Tuna

Big Eye Tuna

*all farmed selections assume farms are ecologically sensitive and chemical/hormone/pesticide-free.

By Tanya M. Williams