Mercury levels, overfishing, habitat destruction, bycatch. Such issues complicate shopping for fish and other seafood. But safer, more eco-responsible decision-making is now a phone call away.
With Seafood Selector To-Go, consumers can call from any cell phone with Web capability, right from the market or restaurant, for current health and environmental information on more than 200 species of fish.
Provided free from the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, the tool is based on research, with input from Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
SSTG provides clear, concise health information specific to each fish, and recommendations for men, women and children. For fish with high levels of contaminants like mercury and PCBs, safer alternatives are given, EDF marine scientist Tim Fitzgerald said.
“For example, canned wild salmon is a good alternative to canned tuna — it is lower in mercury, higher in omega-3s, similar in price and works in many of the same recipes,” Fitzgerald said.
The resource also clarifies the environmental impact of various fishing and farming practices. For example, salmon farming takes a severe ecological toll in contrast to farming shellfish, catfish and trout. Fish at the top of the food chain are typically far more susceptible to overfishing than smaller species that reproduce more quickly.
“Our oceans are in decline from overfishing, habitat destruction and pollution,” Fitzgerald said. “Ninety percent of large predatory fish are gone … and most fisheries will be exhausted by mid-century if our taste for these larger fish continues.”
Consumers can help reverse such trends by shifting demand to sustainable seafood.
“Choosing ecologically preferable seafood in a restaurant or at the fish counter sends an important signal,” says Fitzgerald, whose group works with fishermen and fisheries to advocate sustainable, healthy practices. “Don’t be afraid to ask about a fish’s origin or method of production.”
By changing demand, Fitzgerald said, consumers can help safeguard their health, discourage damaging practices and ensure there will be fish in the future.
