The Green Parent

Looking for something to slap on the grill this weekend that’s more eco-friendly than beef? Seafood can be a good choice…it’s healthier for you and the planet. But you have to choose the right fish. Around the world, many fish populations are threatened with collapse, due to overfishing, accidental kills, and habitat destruction. But some fisheries have made an effort to practice sustainable and responsible fishing methods that protect both fish populations and their habitat.

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program, here are fish to choose and the fish to avoid. Click here for a printable copy of their pocket-sized Seafood Guide, or log on to www.seafoodwatch.org from your cell phone to pull up a copy of the list.

Fish To Try

Arctic Char (farmed)
Barramundi (US farmed)
Catfish (US farmed)
Clams (farmed)
Cod: Pacific (Alaska longline)
Crab: Dungeness, Stone
Halibut: Pacific
Herring: Atlantic/Sardines
Lobster: Spiny (US)
Mussels (farmed)
Oysters (farmed)
Pollock (Alaska wild)
Salmon (Alaska wild)
Scallops: Bay (farmed)
Striped Bass (farmed or wild)
Sturgeon, Caviar (farmed)
Tilapia (US farmed)
Trout: Rainbow (farmed)
Tuna: Albacore (US , British Columbia
troll/pole)
Tuna: Skipjack (troll/pole)

Fish To Avoid
Chilean Seabass/Toothfish
Cod: Atlantic
Crab: King (imported)
Flounders, Soles (Atlantic)
Groupers
Halibut: Atlantic
Lobster: Spiny (Caribbean imported)
Mahi mahi/Dolphinfish (imported)
Monkfish
Orange Roughy
Rockfish (Pacific)
Salmon (farmed, including Atlantic)

Scallops: Sea (Mid-Atlantic)
Sharks
Shrimp (imported farmed or wild)
Snapper: Red
Sturgeon, Caviar (imported wild)
Swordfish (imported)
Tuna: Albacore, Bigeye, Yellowfin
(longline)
Tuna: Bluefin