You want to eat sustainable seafood. But how do you know what you should be eating if your local grocery store is one that doesn’t have a public policy?

Fortunately, organizations like the Monterey Bay Aquarium make it easy for consumers to make informed choices about what they’re digesting by providing an iPhone app and downloadable guides you can fit in your wallet.

Experts in human health – notably scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) – work with the Monterey Bay Aquarium to balance the health and environmental attributes of seafood.

Seafood considered as a Best Choice is abundant, well-managed and caught or farmed in environmentally-friendly ways. These 13 species are considered the best of the best in terms of providing nutrients, farmed/wild-caught sustainably, and are low in contaminants, like mercury:

  • Albacore Tuna (troll- or pole-caught, from the U.S. or British Columbia)
  • Freshwater Coho Salmon (farmed in tank systems, from the U.S.)
  • Mussels (farmed)
  • Oysters (farmed)
  • Pacific Sardines (wild-caught)
  • Rainbow Trout (farmed)
  • Salmon (wild-caught, from Alaska)
  • Arctic Char (farmed)
  • Bay Scallops (farmed)
  • Crayfish (farmed, from the U.S.)
  • Dungeness Crab (wild-caught, from California, Oregon or Washington)
  • Longfin Squid (wild-caught, from the U.S. Atlantic)
  • Pacific Cod (longline-caught, from Alaska)

Other excellent choices in seafood:
Abalone (U.S. Farmed)
Arctic Char (Farmed in Recirculating Systems)
Barramundi (U.S. Farmed)
Capelin (Iceland)
Catfish (U.S. Farmed)
Clams (Farmed)
Clams, Softshell/Steamers (Wild-caught)
Cobia (U.S. Farmed)
Cod, Pacific (Alaska Longline, Jig, Trap)
Crab, Dungeness
Crab, Kona (Australia)
Crab, Stone
Crayfish (U.S. Farmed)
Croaker, Atlantic
Giant Clam/Geoduck (Wild-caught)
Halibut, Pacific
Lobster, Caribbean Spiny (Florida)
Lobster, Spiny (California)
Lobster, Spiny (Baja Mexico)
Mackerel, King (U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico)
Mackerel, Spanish (U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico)
Mahi Mahi (U.S. Atlantic Troll, Pole-and-line)
Mullet, Striped
Mussels (Farmed)
Oysters (Farmed)
Perch, Yellow (Lake Erie)
Prawn, Freshwater (U.S. Farmed)
Rockfish, Black (California, Oregon, Washington Hook-and-line)
Sablefish/Black Cod (Alaska, British Columbia)
Salmon (Alaska Wild-caught)
Salmon (U.S. Farmed in Tank Systems)
Salmon Roe (Alaska Wild-caught)
Sardines (U.S. Pacific)
Scad, Big-eye (Hawaii)
Scad, Mackerel (Hawaii)
Scallops (Farmed Off-bottom)
Sea Urchin Roe (Canada)
Shrimp (U.S. Closed systems, Inland ponds)
Shrimp, Pink (Oregon)
Spot Prawn (British Columbia)
Squid, Longfin (U.S. Atlantic)
Striped Bass (Farmed)
Striped Bass (Wild-caught)
Swordfish (Hawaii Harpoon, Handline)
Swordfish (U.S., Canada Harpoon, Handline)
Tilapia (U.S. Farmed)
Trout, Rainbow (Farmed)
Tuna, Albacore (U.S., Canadian Pacific Troll, Pole-and-line)
Tuna, Albacore (Canned) White (U.S., Canadian Pacific Troll, Pole-and-line)
Tuna, Bigeye (U.S. Atlantic Troll, Pole-and-line)
Tuna, Skipjack (Troll, Pole-and-line)
Tuna, Skipjack (Canned) Light (Worldwide Troll, Pole-and-line)
Tuna, Yellowfin (U.S. Atlantic Troll, Pole-and-line)
White Seabass
Whitefish, Lake (Trap-net)
Wreckfish

What should you be staying away from and avoiding? Seafood to “Avoid” are overfished and/or fished or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment.

Caviar (Imported)
Chilean Seabass
Cobia (Imported Farmed)
Cod, Atlantic (U.S. Atlantic)
Cod, Atlantic (Iceland, Northeast Arctic Trawl)
Cod, Pacific (Imported Pacific)
Conch, Queen Corvina, Gulf (Gulf of California)
Crab, King (Imported)
Crayfish (Imported Farmed)
Dogfish, Spiny (Except British Columbia)
Eel, Freshwater
Flounder (Atlantic)
Grenadier (U.S. Pacific)
Grouper (U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico)
Grouper (Main Hawaiian Islands)
Haddock (Trawl)
Hake
White Halibut
Atlantic Halibut,
California Halibut (Set Gillnet)
Lobster, Caribbean Spiny (Brazil)
Mahi Mahi (Imported Longline)
Marlin, Blue (Imported)
Marlin, Striped Monkfish
Monkfish Liver
Octopus, Common
Opah (Imported Longline)
Orange Roughy
Plaice, American
Pompano, Florida
Rockfish (Pacific Trawl)
Salmon (Farmed)
Salmon (California, Oregon (south of Cape Falcon) Wild-caught)
Sea Turtles
Sea Urchin Roe (Maine)
Shark
Shrimp (Imported Farmed)
Shrimp (Imported Wild-caught)
Skates
Snapper, Pink (Main Hawaiian Islands)
Snapper, Red (all, including Imported and Main Hawaiian Islands)
Snapper, Ruby (Main Hawaiian Islands)
Snapper, Vermilion (U.S.)
Sole (Atlantic)
Spearfish, Shortbill (Imported)
Sturgeon (Imported Wild-caught)
Swordfish (Imported)
Tilapia (China, Taiwan Farmed)
Tilefish, Blueline (U.S. Gulf of Mexico, U.S. South Atlantic)
Tilefish, Golden (U.S. Gulf of Mexico, U.S. South Atlantic)
Totoaba (Gulf of California)
Trout, Lake (Lake Huron, Lake Michigan)
Tuna (Canned) (Wild-caught Except Troll, Pole)
Tuna, Albacore (Worldwide, Except Hawaii Longline)
Tuna, Bigeye (Worldwide, Except U.S. Atlantic Longline)
Tuna, Bluefin
Tuna, Bluefin (Ranched)
Tuna, Skipjack (Worldwide Purse Seine)
Tuna, Skipjack (Imported Longline)
Tuna, Tongol (Worldwide Gillnet, Purse Seine)
Tuna, Yellowfin (Longline, Purse Seine)
Yellowtail (Australia Farmed)
Yellowtail (Japan Farmed)

This article is part of ConsumerBell’s Food Undressed week, detailing healthy, socially, and environmentally-responsible eating habits and food safety.

 

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