The Dirty Dozen Fish: Say Farewell to this Seafood

Janelle Sorensen

Healthy Child often talks about the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen fruits and vegetables to avoid due to pesticide residues, but here’s another terrible twelve to remember.

Food & Water Watch, another fantastic non-profit, has come out with their own Dirty Dozen list for fish. They selected fish that fail at least two of their criteria for safe and sustainable seafood:

The fish contains mercury or PCBs that can cause serious health problems.
The fish is imported from countries where health, environmental or safety standards for growing or catching fish are weak and/or non-existent.
Many wild fish are managed poorly, are caught using gear that can hurt habitat and other wildlife, and/or the stocks are becoming depleted.
Less than 2% of imported fish to the U.S. is tested for contamination.

Here’s their Dirty Dozen Fish List (the order listed does not reflect a ranking):

Atlantic Cod
Atlantic Flatfish, e.g. Atlantic halibut, flounders and sole
Caviar, especially from beluga and other wild-caught sturgeon
Chilean Seabass
Eel
Farmed Salmon, often called “Atlantic salmon.” (Tip: don’t be fooled by “organic” salmon – it’s usually farmed internationally and not certified by U.S. standards.)
Imported Basa/Swai/Tra: (Tip: These are often called “catfish” — ask where it is from and check country of origin labels.)
Imported farmed shrimp
Imported King Crab
Orange Roughy
Shark
Tuna, especially Atlantic Bluefin (Pacific albacore and Atlantic skipjack are exempted)