Big Fish Eat The Little Fish
- Posted by: Patrick James
- on July 29, 2009 at 6:00 am
A guide to the best and worst choices for fish consumption.
Any sardine will tell you that all fish were not created equal. Of course, they’re not caught equally, either. Overfishing is a serious problem around the world, and many ocean advocates say we need to stop catching and eating fish all together. But since people demand their sushi, we at least must start making responsible purchases, or we’re simply going to run out of sea life. Follow this guide, and you can help ensure that we have plenty of fish in the sea for years to come.
Catfish GOOD
Catfish caught or farmed in the United States is a great option (just make sure it is, in fact, U.S.-caught or -farmed).
Caviar MAYBE
Eschew caviar from wild-caught beluga in favor of some from U.S.-farmed fish and you can keep enjoying your pricey treat.
Health risks: Mercury, PCBs
Chilean Sea Bass BAD
Delicious? Maybe. Overfished? You bet. Consider the less glamorous striped bass or mahimahi as alternatives.
Health risks: Mercury
Cod BAD
Stay away from the insanely overfished Atlantic cod (also known as scrod or whitefish). Instead, try U.S.-caught Pacific cod, or opt for bass (not Chilean Sea Bass) as a cooking alternative.
Crab MAYBE
Once again, buy American. As long as you steer clear of the imported stuff, there are plenty of crabs in the sea.
Health risks: Only for some blue crab (Mercury, PCBs)
Halibut MAYBE
Wild-caught Canadian and American halibut (from the Pacific Ocean) is okay, but any Atlantic-caught—sometimes sold as flounder, sole, or hirame—is a no-no.
Health risks: Some mercury
Lobster GOOD
Whether it comes from the United States or Australia, lobster is plentiful and delicious. Just avoid spiny lobster from the Caribbean.
Mackerel GOOD
Also sold as cavalla, kingfish, hog, sierra, spaniard, aji, or sawara. Mackerel is always a safe bet.
Health risks: Spanish and king mackerel can have high levels of mercury.
Salmon MAYBE
Worldwide farming of salmon has plenty of environmental problems (and the product doesn’t taste very good), but wild-caught Alaskan salmon is a great choice.
Health risks: None, if it’s from Alaska; other-wise, mercury
Sardines GOOD
Sardines. So hot right now—and bountiful. Learn more about these tasty little guys below.
Snapper MAYBE
Yellowtail caught in the United States is fairly abundant, but red snapper… not so much.
Health risks: Mercury—limit servings to one or two a month
Tilapia MAYBE
Tilapia is cheap and widely sold, but the ones from China are probably a bad idea. Stick to U.S.-farmed.
Tuna BAD
Bluefin is severely overfished, as is just about all yellowfin, with the exception of U.S.-caught Atlantic tuna. Canned albacore is a decent alternative, but it’s not exactly the same thing.
Health risks: Mercury
Shark BAD
Shark is indescribably overfished, and its demise might be worse for the environment than the loss of fish, so don’t even think about shark-fin soup. Pacific halibut can be a good cooking alternative, though.
Health risks: Mercury
Mussels GOOD
Mussels are, by and large, responsibly farmed, so feel free to get moules frites as often as you like.
Oysters GOOD
Oysters are mostly farmed (as opposed to wild-caught) and rightly so. They’re fine to eat.
Shrimp BAD
Americans eat more shrimp than any other seafood. Sadly, worldwide shrimp trawling accounts for the most bycatch—when fishing vessels catch and kill species they’re not trying to catch—of any commercial fishing practice. However, U.S. Pacific shrimp is a bit better, and pink shrimp from Oregon or British Colombia can actually be a good choice.
Gone Fishin’
This we know: Fish are good to eat, and good for you. We also know that the smaller the fish, the better for the environment. But those small fish can be pretty daunting to use, so we asked two chefs to come up with some recipes that someone could easily execute in their home kitchen to get the right kind of fish into their diet. |
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Baby Beet and Grilled Sardine Salad, Serves 4
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Tuscan Kale Caesar Salad with White Spanish Anchovies, Serves 4From Shana Pacifico, chef de cuisine of Back Forty, New York City
To make the dressing:In a food processor first add yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and garlic. Let ingredients puree for a minute. Add oil in a slow steady stream, and then add the Parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, six of the anchovies, a few dashes of the Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste. The dressing should be a loose creamy consistency. If it’s not, add water a tablespoon at a time. Adjust seasoning to taste. To make the salad:Lightly grill or sauté two bunches of kale. Let it cool and toss with dressing. Top salad with a bit more shaved Parmesan and the additional anchovies. |
DISCUSSION: 9 Comments
For this information to be really practical it needs to be available at the point of sale. To that end, the Monterey Bay Aquarium as created this great little iPhone app: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_iPhone.aspxFrom their website: “Our new iPhone application brings the latest Seafood Watch
recommendations directly to your iPhone or iPod touch. Now you can make
sustainable seafood choices quickly and easily—whether you’re eating at
your favorite restaurant or shopping for dinner. And at a time when the
world’s oceans are severely overfished, your seafood choices make a big
difference.”
You make some pretty good recommendations in this article but not all are entirely accurate. It’d be great to see your sources. I’m not an expert or anything but I do try to keep up on the seafood I like to eat. Yellowfin tuna is not actually severely overfished – in fact, both Atlantic and Pacific stocks are near or above target levels (per NOAA’s FishWatch site). There’s a lot of other tuna besides bluefin out in the marketplace, too. Shrimp gets a pretty bad rap – you say generalize and say “worldwide trawling…” but U.S. fishermen have to alter their gear to reduce bycatch and U.S. farmed shrimp is ok too. Red snapper’s on it’s way to recovering (http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ftf_policy_redsnapper) and it’s important to support the fishermen and other groups that are taking strides to rebuild populations and fisheries. Also, where did you find the mercury warnings for these species? Really, the only ones of concern are shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel, and that’s just for pregnant women, young children, nursing mothers, and women who might become pregnant. It’s really important to stay up to date on this topic and to consider your sources. There’s a lot of misinformation out there on seafood, and both sustainability and health concerns are complicated subjects. People really look to the media for info on the subject so it is key that you are providing the correct advice.
I just made a video that talks about sustainability for fish, the difficulty of choosing in restaurants and retail, and why the “boycott mentality” of don’t-eat lists only works so far and can be counterproductive in some cases. You can view it here: http://www.vimeo.com/5723667
I second the Monterey Bay Aquarium seafood guide: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx
Where are you getting your information on farmed salmon? It tastes fine and actually has a bit more oily and is perfect on the BBQ. Alaskan salmon tastes no different than BC salmon, so your comment sounds like you have a share in the Alaskan fishery:-) Objectivity is good.
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Great recipe for whole fish. Clean a 10 inch long trout, scrape some scales and pat dry. Put 4 diagonal slices to the bone but not thru on both sides. Add corn or rice starch to lightly cover fish. Add aoinch of salt to the fish and get some in the slits you cut into each side. A pinch is all! Put fish aside.Make topping from: 4 ounce white or yellow beans. Mash and mix with 1/2 oz crushed hot red pepper and 1 tbsp oil. Chop 8 garlic cloves, one thumb size fresh ginger and chop 1/4 cup green onion including the white bulb end. You will need 1/4 cup chicken stock as wellAdd sufficient oil to a large fry pan or wok to half cover fish. Heat oil over medium high flame. Add fish carefully by sliding from one side. Cook front to back for 5 minute. Turn carefully and cook 4 minutes. Remove fish and place on a large plate.Add bean paste to hot oil and mix. Add stock and add ginger and garlic. Cook down a bit and add 1/2 tspn starch to thicken a bit.Pour over fish on platter. Add green onion to top. Also add peanuts if you like them.Trout is really good. This is a Sichuan recipe.
mmmm delicious CATFIFSH
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