Fish eating feces, fatal levels of mercury, and way too much mislabelling:
it all adds up to cheap fish you should absolutely avoid.
It's no secret that Americans love shrimp. In 2019, people in the country
ate an estimated 1.5 billion pounds of shrimp, or about 4.4 pounds per person.
"It's kind of like popcorn of the sea."
It's not hard to understand how this flavorful shellfish became so popular,
as it's also generally cheap and easy to find. Cheap shrimp got that way
due to the many aquaculture farms that breed them. Most are located
in Southeast Asia and provide a whopping 55 percent of the global shrimp supply.
Ideally, shrimp are bred in good conditions, but the reality is much
murkier. Some farms are ethically managed, while others are overcrowded and raise major
environmental concerns. They can pollute surrounding water systems with chemicals,
threaten local wild shrimp populations, and encourage monocultures. On top of all that,
it's nearly impossible to trace shrimp back to the farm they came from.
Grey mullet is an increasingly popular fish from England. It was once considered
less-than-appetizing, perhaps given its name and tendency to feed on sewer waste. But it's lately
been enjoying a resurgence. With its bold flavor, it works well as a cheap stand-in for sea bass.
But according to Andy Burt, the chairman of the National Mullet Club, grey mullet
are in a precarious situation, due to two main factors. First, they're often caught
as a by-catch offshore. This is a problem because when grey mullet are out in open waters, they're
most likely spawning. Second, young female grey mullet that haven't reached maturity are regularly
caught and sold. This could spell disaster for the fish's ability to replenish its numbers,
and the Angling Trust has already noticed a decline in the local grey mullet population.
"Orange roughy" was actually a clever rebranding of the less palatable "slimehead" name. It
certainly seems to have worked, as orange roughy became a kitchen staple in Australia
by the 1970s. It has a mild flavor and good flake, and it holds up nicely when cooked.
But before you dig into this brightly colored fish, you'd better think twice.
The orange roughy is a bottom-dweller that doesn't reproduce often, and the average
age of caught orange roughy is between 30 and 50 years. This makes them extremely susceptible to
overfishing. Additionally, due to their advanced age, they can have high levels of mercury.
Furthermore, the bottom trawling fishing techniques used to harvest orange roughy are
extremely disruptive to fragile marine ecosystems. And on top of all that,
it's often intentionally mislabeled and sold as "deep sea perch."
Farmed salmon is a bit controversial. It's cheaper and therefore more accessible than its
wild cousin, but there are also claims that it's more prone to disease, flooded with chemicals,
and full of harmful metals. However, the Washington State Department of Health assures
consumers that farm-raised salmon have comparable levels of toxins and metals to wild salmon.
While this may sound like the perfect trade-off, there are still some major environmental
implications to keep in mind. Around 20 percent of farmed salmon stock die for a variety of reasons,
including parasites, disease, and the effects of chemical treatments. These same chemicals
can leach out into surrounding waters and into the wider environment, while parasites
that proliferate in farmed populations can affect wild salmon. While farmed salmon is
significantly cheaper, wild salmon may very well be the better choice for the environment.
"Pollution, dams, and fishing rendered Atlantic salmon an endangered species in the U.S."
Cod has long been favored thanks to its mild flavor, flakiness, and firm texture. The two
cod stocks of Maine have long satisfied American cravings for this fish. And the name Cape Cod
is said to have come from the once abundant cod population that lived off the Massachusetts coast.
But cod stocks were once so mismanaged and overfished that harsh restrictions had to
be taken to ensure the species' survival. However, there is some good news: at the beginning of 2022,
the 2019 class of cod stock in Maine was especially healthy. So in a few years' time,
the cod population and its fishing industry may be back up to par.
However, the Conservation Law Foundation advises us not to count our fish eggs
before they hatch. One factor that could negatively affect cod is the
changing climate. The Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest-warming bodies of
water on the planet. For the time being, it might be best to leave the cod alone.
Rock salmon, also known as spiny dogfish, isn't actually a fish at all. Instead,
it's actually a species of shark. Regardless of the confusion,
it has a flavor profile that's more similar to white fish, with mild, firm, and flaky flesh.
Spiny dogfish is incredibly cheap and though it hasn't exactly made waves in the United States,
it's commonly served as fish and chips in England. But by 2019,
as much as 95 percent of the spiny dogfish population in the Northeast
Atlantic had been depleted. The U.S. then stepped in as a major supplier to Europe.
While the spiny dogfish is still plentiful in American waters, it's extremely susceptible
to overfishing, as it takes a long time to mature and reproduce. Furthermore,
mislabelling spiny dogfish as rock salmon promotes dishonesty and unethical business practices.
Tilapia is one of the most popular fish in America, likely thanks to its mild flavor and
low price point. As reported by Livestrong, about 50 percent of the world's tilapia and
around 73 percent of the tilapia sold in the U.S. is sourced from Chinese fish farms.
Now, farmed fish aren't necessarily bad. Tilapia in particular responds well to
farmed conditions and can help provide relief to overburdened wild populations. However, the diet
that farmed tilapia are subjected to doesn't allow them to develop the extremely beneficial
omega-3 fatty acids that fish are known and praised for. Some tilapia farms may feed
these fish primarily feces, which certainly isn't conducive to a healthy, hearty animal.
"Ewww! No!"
A little less gross, but still worrying, is the fact that fish that are fed hormones
and antibiotics may have adverse effects on the human body that further negate an
otherwise healthy option. So it's probably best to avoid farmed tilapia altogether,
even though that may not be easy to do given the market for cheap tilapia.
Swai fish is a whitefish that's considered neutral enough to satisfy even those who
might otherwise turn their nose up to a pescatarian diet. It's a
Vietnamese species that has recently become increasingly popular in the United States,
where it's commonly marketed as basa or panga. At one point, it was even sold as
"imported catfish", perhaps to better help with sales through a more familiar name.
While often cultivated in the extremely polluted Mekong Delta,
concerns about this particular fish actually tend to focus more on farming practices. There
are serious concerns surrounding the environmental impact of fish farming that flushes antibiotics,
waste, and other chemicals into nearby waters. Providing too many
antibiotics to fish may also encourage the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
To top it all off, swai fish contain considerably less
omega-3 fatty acids than other fish due to their typical feed. The less-than-stellar quality of
feed and the extremely close quarters of fish pens also heightens the risk of disease. Swai
is also often mislabeled and sold in place of more expensive catches like sole or grouper.
It's no secret that tilefish isn't the best option on the menu or at the grocery store. Sure,
there are some benefits, like high levels of vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Tilefish
is also mild in flavor, and smaller cuts even have the added bonus of being a very economical
choice. But all these benefits come with the major caveat of extremely high mercury content.
Even though tilefish is often sold as small fillets, it's actually a large,
predatory animal, and its mercury levels are heightened when it
eats other fish. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, both
mid-Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico-based tilefish therefore have elevated levels of mercury.
With all this in mind, the Environmental Defense Fund goes so far as to suggest
that women and children should never eat this fish, and adult men should consume
no more than one portion per month. That's because high mercury exposure can adversely
affect the nervous system, especially those of unborn fetuses. So when you add it all up,
the low price point and tasty flavor simply aren't worth the risk.
"Bad idea."
Crawfish, crawdads, and crayfish are all different names for the same animal. While
this shellfish may be deeply connected to the Deep South and Cajun cuisine in particular,
nowadays the scope of this delicacy is much bigger. Since the 90s,
for example, China has been a major exporter of crawfish, specifically peeled crawfish tail.
As reported by The New York Times in 1997,
Chinese-exported crawfish were able to undercut domestically caught crawfish by about half,
providing a global battlefield for a once regional delight.
Imports may be cheaper depending on the year, and the taste may be
virtually the same as inland crawfish. Yet the somewhat pricier American-bred crawdads
may be the better environmental choice. While purchasing crawdads may not be a "local" buy,
investing in national goods assures that the product meets not only American standards and
quality control, but also promotes national delicacies. Additionally,
the carbon footprint of inland crawfish is sure to be less than that of imports.
"If you see a price that's suspiciously low to you,
take a fine look. You may see 'Made in China' on the packaging."
Despite its royal name, king mackerel can be found for as little as $7 per pound. What really makes
this particular fish stand out is its amazing texture. However, its strong taste can also turn
people off. But there's more than just texture or flavor to consider when it comes to this critter.
King mackerel are extremely large fish that weigh between 15 and 50 pounds,
although individual ones weighing up to 100 pounds have been reported in the wild. But they don't
just magically reach this size. King mackerel are predators that feed on much smaller fish,
which is a major contributing factor to their high mercury content.
The mercury levels of the king mackerel are comparable to that of more well-known
offenders like swordfish and shark. In fact, according to SeaGrant Louisiana,
king mackerel's mercury level tests highest among all Gulf fish, and advisories have
been issued in surrounding states against consuming it. This species is certainly not
recommended for women and children, but really everyone should think twice before indulging.
Skate fish are relatives of the stingray. Certainly, the family resemblance is almost
impossible to miss from a visual standpoint. While these beauties might not be the first
thing that comes to mind when thinking of seafood, their flavor profile has been praised, drawing
comparisons to scallops with an extremely chewy texture. The skate's price point also remains
extremely low. In 2022, they were reportedly available for as little as $1.33 per pound.
But despite those enticing features, consumers should exercise caution around skates. As reported
by The Guardian in 2002, the common skate had nearly disappeared from the North Sea
due to trawling, a means of fishing that involves dragging nets across the seabed.
It's a practice that has proved to be highly disruptive to many bottom-feeding species.
What's worse is the fact that most skates are "data-poor" species. This means that
little is known about their population history, life span, and breeding habits,
which makes sustainability measures hard to implement. In the meantime,
many skate populations remain in a precarious situation and need to be protected. There are
a few species that have been reported as safe options to eat, like the California skate or
longnose skate. Yet other species like the baja skate are in critical condition. So
don't skate around the risks, and instead pay close attention to what species you're buying.