1. Tilapia
Why avoid it:
- Often farm-raised in overcrowded, polluted environments
- High in omega-6 fatty acids, which can trigger inflammation
- May contain antibiotic and pesticide residues
2. Atlantic Salmon (Farmed)
Why avoid it:
- Packed into small pens, making disease spread common
- Often fed unnatural diets and treated with chemicals
- Can contain PCBs (toxic industrial compounds)
✅ Choose wild-caught Pacific salmon instead.
Advertisement
3. Swordfish
Why avoid it:
- Among the highest in mercury of all fish
- Mercury affects the nervous system, especially dangerous for children and pregnant women
4. Shark
Why avoid it:
- Extremely high in mercury
- Sharks are also at risk of extinction due to overfishing
5. King Mackerel
Why avoid it:
- Another fish with very high mercury levels
- Particularly unsafe for pregnant women and young children
✅ Opt for Atlantic mackerel (low mercury) instead.
6. Tuna (Bigeye, Ahi, Bluefin)
Why avoid it:
- Bluefin is critically endangered
- High mercury levels in bigeye and ahi
- Tuna are often caught using unsustainable fishing methods
✅ Light tuna (skipjack) has lower mercury content.
7. Orange Roughy
Why avoid it:
- Contains high levels of mercury
- Lives up to 150 years, which means it accumulates toxins over time
- Overfished and slow to reproduce
8. Chilean Sea Bass
Why avoid it:
- High in mercury
- Victim of illegal and overfishing
- Long transport = larger carbon footprint
9. Grouper
Why avoid it:
- High mercury levels
- Often caught using destructive fishing techniques
- Some species are overfished
10. Eel (Unagi)
Why avoid it:
- High in PCBs and mercury
- Critically endangered, especially freshwater eel
- Often farm-raised in unsanitary conditions
11. Imported Catfish
Why avoid it:
Lacks strict regulation in some countries
May be raised in polluted waters
Often treated with illegal antibiotics
✅ Choose U.S. farm-raised catfish with better standards.
12. Tilefish (from the Gulf of Mexico)
Why avoid it:
- Among the worst offenders for mercury
- Not recommended for anyone, especially children or pregnant women
13. Atlantic Cod
Why avoid it:
- Severely overfished for decades
- Some stocks have collapsed entirely
- Fishing practices also damage ocean habitats
14. American Eel (Yellow Eel)
Why avoid it:
- Very high in mercury and contaminants
- Populations are in sharp decline
- Often used in sushi as unagi
Safer & Sustainable Fish Alternatives:
- Wild-caught Alaskan salmon
- Sardines (low mercury + high omega-3)
- Rainbow trout
- Atlantic mackerel
- Anchovies
- Arctic char
