Cascadia Scorecard News
July 2005

Fish, those gilled and scaly denizens of the Earth's waters, are so beneficial to human health that the American Heart Association recommends we all eat two servings per week. They provide a source of protein that's low in saturated fat and often high in omega-3 fatty acids, substances that lower the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, and prevent cancer.

Yet humans have reduced the populations of 70 percent of commercially fished species to the point where they can no longer easily sustain themselves. Overfishing; bycatch (unwanted or unintentional catch); and the disruption of marine habitat through shoreline development, climate change, and destructive fishing methods have all severely compromised the health of our oceans.

If we eat fish and care about sustaining their populations and ecosystems in the Northwest and worldwide, then we need to choose seafood that:

• Is not already threatened by overfishing and habitat damage.

• Is harvested with respect for the habitats in which the fish thrive.

That means avoiding fish that are struggling to maintain their numbers, like Atlantic cod, or those caught by destructive methods like bottom trawling and dredging. Even some fish farming methods are suspect. Fish farmers, for example, often use antibiotics to halt the spread of disease in crowded fish pens, and these drugs invariably find their way into the environment.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program has developed a series of regional pocket guides to help make seafood decisions a snap. Carry a guide with you to the grocery store or out to dinner, and you'll know to pick the wild Alaskan salmon over the Chilean sea bass, and the tilapia over the Atlantic cod.

• Seafood Watch Guide for selecting sustainable seafood

And to learn more about the threats facing marine life and how you can support sustainable fishing practices, check out theses excellent overviews:

• Seafood Watch overview of fishing issues

• Chefs Collaborative overview and list of resources and restaurants

Health is also an issue. Fish-especially those higher up in the food chain-accumulate pollutants like mercury, dioxins, and the toxic flame retardants PBDEs. Children, as well as women who are pregnant or breastfeeding (or who may become pregnant) are most vulnerable to these contaminants. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's seafood guide indicates the fish, like swordfish and shark, to avoid. You can check the EPA and Health Canada for seafood advisories. Or check here:

• Eating Well Seafood Guide with pollution warnings

Taking the time to select sustainable and healthy seafood protects our oceans and helps ensure that wildlife and people alike can thrive. Bon appetit!

More information
Sightline's wildlife index
Sightline's pollution and toxics indicator