Sustainability is about what we’re shoving into our mouths as much as recycling & reducing your waste. You’re probably aware of the Dirty Dozen – produce you should be purchasing organic because of pesticides in conventional varieties.  Hopefully you’ve cut back on seafood since overfishing is a critical problem of our oceans… and fish farms aren’t exactly a great solution either.

However, if you’re going to splurge on a fish selection – What should you avoid? Here’s the list according to Food & Water Watch:

1. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – Bluefin tuna has high mercury and PCB contamination, and overfished to near extinction.
2. Imported Catfish (also known as Basa, Swai, Tra or Pangasius) – Imported catfish often comes from Southeast Asia, where chemical use & antibiotics aren’t regulated – and you could unknowingly get a side of antibiotics, pesticides or bacteria.
3. Caviar (especially from beluga and other wild-caught sturgeon) – It has a long maturity (15 years) and is overfished. Avoid it to save it.
4. Atlantic Cod – The stock collapsed in the early 1990s and is currently undergoing overfishing. plus high bycatch. Avoiding it decreases demand.
5. American Eel (also known as “yellow” or “silver” eel) – High concentrations of mercury & PCBs DON’T do a body good.
6. Atlantic Flatfish (e.g. flounder, sole and halibut) – Seriously overfished
7. Imported King Crab – It’s often illegal.
8. Imported Shrimp – 90% consumed in the US are imported and not well regulated –  with antiobiotics & other non-delicious additives.
9. Orange Roughy – Can contain high mercury levels and overfished.
10. Atlantic & Farmed Salmon – High PCB, pesticides & antibiotic contamination in the wild, as well as farmed salmon could have diseases & sea lice.
11. Chilean Seabass – Chilean seabass may have high mercury levels and is fished illegally often.
12. Shark – Hungry for mercury? Plus, they’re overfished and endangered over the past century. Plus, there’s something immoral about eating the incredible ‘Jaws’…

This is just a summary of seafood dangerous to your health & environment. If you want to learn more, visit the Food & Water Watch website as well as read the extremely informative “End of the Line“. Readers, what are your thoughts?

Picture: Family Dinner Cookbook

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher