July 9, 2015 — Finding the right fish to eat is hard when you’re looking for something sustainable. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as deciding between farmed or wild, imported or domestic, or fresh or frozen. When it comes to seafood, sustainability means considering the long-term viability of the species’ populations, the environmental impacts of farming or catching, and the livelihoods of the people doing the work—not something that can be summed up in one sentence or less.
But while there is no single, catch-all principle, eating a variety of fish is key to maintaining healthy fisheries, and also a good way to limit your intake of toxins like mercury.
Variety can be a major hurdle in countries like the US, where consumers rely heavily on just three kinds of fish, much of which is imported: shrimp, canned tuna, and salmon.