The more we learn about the world's oceans, the more incredible things we discover.
We've found a huge number of delicious things, too, and the waters that surround us have
been supplying us with super-healthy foods for as long as we've known how to pull fish
from the seas.
But it's still super important to be careful with your fish consumption, because of issues
like sustainability and the potential for mercury poisoning.
A little knowledge goes a long way, and a great way to make sure you're making smart
and informed choices about the seafood that makes it onto the dinner table is knowing
what kind you shouldn't be serving.
For example ...
King mackerel
King mackerel, or kingfish, is an extremely popular catch among recreational anglers.
They're a bit of a challenge to wrangle and make for good sport fishing, but you're better
off releasing these guys back into the depths.
That's because the FDA advises against eating king mackerel due to their high mercury content.
The king mackerel is by no means alone, either, and there's a number of high-mercury fish
you should be avoiding.
Why?
Because as it builds up over the years, you may start to see neurological problems like
numbness, phantom pains, tremors, memory issues, and even seizures.
It's nothing new, and mercury poisoning is even to blame (or thank) for one of literature's
most famous characters.
"You need to be as mad as a hatter" "I should be…
I am"
In addition to the mercury, king mackerel has also been linked to reports of severe
food poisoning because these fish consume toxic algae.
That's two strikes against this royal swimmer, and all the more reason you need to avoid
it.
Bigeye and bluefin tuna
Some tunas, like the skipjack you find in light canned tuna, are not only sustainable
and safe to eat, but also are recommended for consumption by the American Heart Association.
Other tunas, however, should be avoided either because of population decline or unsafe mercury
levels.
Of all the tuna in the sea, the ones you should be avoiding are bigeye and bluefin.
Bigeye tuna has high levels of mercury, which makes it unsafe to eat for many people.
And bluefin tuna have been overfished to the point of potential extinction, making them
a poor fish choice for those concerned about the environment.
Here's some good news, though: if everyone could get on board with protection and responsible
stewardship, it's completely possible this species will bounce back.
Swordfish
Swordfish have long been popular thanks, in part, to their dense, meaty texture, but they
proved such a popular fish, their population fell to troublesome levels in the 1990s.
There's good news here, too: thanks to protective legislation, numbers have been on the rebound.
You still might want to pass on these fish, though, because we've started solving one
problem only to find another.
Starting as far back as 1970, mercury levels in swordfish were found to be high enough
to concern consumers.
The FDA has listed swordfish as a fish to avoid, and there's plenty of other, safer
options out there.
Shark
Fewer fish are as deeply ingrained in the American imagination as sharks.
We have the Jaws movies to thank for that, which gave many of us nightmares and a healthy
fear of open water.
With a reputation as a fierce hunter, it's no surprise that sharks would be a hunter's
ultimate conquest.
But sharks have been hunted recklessly, especially by those seeking to make money selling shark
fins.
This practice has depleted shark populations to the point of catastrophe, and on top of
that?
Gordon Ramsay had this to say after he spent some time investigating the shark fin industry:
"It's without a doubt the worst act of animal cruelty I've ever seen"
Mercury levels are a problem here, too, so there's no doubt about it: for the health
and wellbeing of sharks and humans alike, don't eat shark meat.
Marlin
Another fish that's very popular among anglers in Florida, Hawaii, and beyond is the marlin.
It's not surprising, as they can weigh nearly 2,000 pounds and swim at speeds up to 60 miles
per hour.
They also use that pointed bill to hunt, poking and slashing through schools of tuna and mackerel.
That's an impressive fish, the kind other fish tell tall tales about.
But conservationists now say they're best left in the sea for the same reasons as numerous
other fish: overfishing, the decimation of population, and a trend toward an elevated
mercury content.
Leave these guys where they are; they're much, much more beautiful in the oceans anyway.
Tilefish
The tilefish is a multicolored fish with distinctive markings, a sweet flavor and a firm texture.
It can be prepared in a variety of ways, and while they may grow slowly, they can achieve
a length of up to four feet, making them attractive to anglers on the Atlantic coast and in the
Gulf of Mexico.
But just because you can catch them, that doesn't mean you should eat them.
Even though the tilefish population is healthy, thanks to some responsible wildlife management
by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, they're still susceptible to overfishing.
Additionally, the mercury levels in tilefish are elevated to the point where they're not
safe to eat.
So let them do what they do best, which is clown around in deep water.
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