Seafood Choices

From <a href="http://www.oceansalive.org/" target="new">Oceans Alive</a>, a project of the Environmental Defense Network</span>: What’s good and bad for you, and for the environment.

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


Seafood: What’s good and bad for you, and for the environment.
FISH GOOD FOR YOU?

color key: green, yellow, peach, orange, red
Best Worst
ECO-FRIENDLY?

checkmarkcross
Yes No
HEALTH ADVISORIES
Abalone (U.S. farmed)   yes insufficient data
Anchovies   yes  
Arctic Char (U.S. and Canadian farmed)   yes insufficient data
Bass, Striped (farmed)   yes  
Bass, Striped (wild)     PCBs, mercury, and pesticides
Bluefish     PCBs, mercury, and pesticides
Blue Marlin   no Mercury
Catfish (U.S. farmed)   yes  
Caviar, Paddlefish and Sturgeon (U.S. farmed)   yes insufficient data
Caviar, Sturgeon (wild)   no insufficient data
Clams   yes insufficient data
Cod, Atlantic   no Mercury
Crab, Blue     PCBs and mercury
Crab, Dungeoness   yes Mercury
Crab, snow and stone   yes  
Crawfish (U.S.)   yes  
Croaker, Atlantic     PCBs
Croaker, White     PCBs
Eel, American     PCBs, mercury, and pesticides
Flounder, Blackback     PCBs
Flounder, Summer     PCBs
Grouper   no Mercury
Halibut   no Mercury
Herring, Atlantic Sea   yes  
Lingcod     Mercury
Lobster, American/Maine     Mercury
Mackerel, Atlantic   yes  
Mackerel, King   Mercury
Mackerel, Spanish     Mercury
Mahi Mahi   yes Mercury
Marlin, Striped   no Mercury
Marlin, White   no Mercury
Monkfish   no Mercury
Mussels, Blue (farmed)   yes PCBs
Mussels, Blue (wild)     PCBs
Mussels, New Zealand Green   yes insufficient data
Opah/Moonfish     Mercury
Orange Roughy   no Mercury
Oysters, Eastern (farmed)   yes PCBs
Oyster, Eastern (wild)     PCBs
Oysters, European   yes insufficient data
Oysters, Pacific   yes  
Pompano, Florida     Mercury
Rockfish (Pacific: rock cod/boccacio)   no Mercury
Sablefish/Black Cod (from Alaska)   yes  
Salmon, Atlantic (farmed or wild)   no PCBs, dioxins, and pesticides
Salmon, Alaska (wild)   yes  
Sardines   yes  
Scallops (farmed bay)   yes  
Seabass, Black     Mercury
Seabass, Chilean   no Mercury
Shark   no Mercury
Shrimp (Northern from Newfoundland, U.S. farmed)   yes insufficient data
Shrimp/Prawns (imported)   no insufficient data
Snapper, Red   no Mercury
Snapper, Mutton   no Mercury
Snapper, Yellowtail   no Mercury
Sole, English     PCBs
Spot Prawns   yes insufficient data
Spotted Seatrout     PCBs and mercury
Sturgeon, Atlantic   no Mercury
Sturgeon (farmed)   yes insufficient data
Swordfish   no Mercury
Tilapia (U.S.)   yes  
Tilefish   no Mercury
Tuna, Albacore     Mercury
Tuna, Bluefin   no Mercury
Tuna, Skipjack     Mercury
Wahoo     Mercury
Weakfish     PCBs
Winter Skate   no Mercury
Source: Oceans Alive, a project of the Environmental Defense Network

WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

payment methods

WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate