Fish and seafood have many healthy-promoting attributes, and we are being encouraged to eat more seafood because of these attributes. This can be a challenge because knowing the where the fish and seafood have been sourced may determine how healthy it is.

Fish and seafood can be either wild-caught or farm-raised. Let’s look at each of these in regards to nutrition, contaminants, and sustainability.

• Nutrition: Any type of animal or fish protein quality will be determined by what that species ate – if the species is eating a healthy diet, the quality of the product will be healthier for you. Farm-raised fish tend to have higher fat content since they get less exercise, and because farmed fish are typically given feed high in fat from sources such as fish oil. That includes healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, as well as saturated fat. Farmed fish may contain more sodium.
• Contaminants: Some studies have shown how farm-raised varieties can be higher in contaminants. Additionally, farm-raised fish tend to have a higher instance of disease due to farming conditions. They are often given antibiotics, too.
• Sustainability: With the increase demand for seafood, wild-caught sources will not be able to keep up with this demand and some species will be affected more than others. Aquaculture offers an alternative, but there can be challenges will this. Pollution of natural habitats is a concern with fish grown in open-net cages. Seafood raised in nets can introduce diseases and pests to wild populations: Farmed salmon have sometimes escape their enclosures, mating with and overtaking wild salmon species.

Wild-Caught Seafood

Wild fish are fish caught in their natural environments – oceans, lakes, or rivers.

• Nutrition: The diets of wild-caught fish may be higher-quality and more diverse than those of farmed fish; they are not fed antibiotics.
• Contaminants: Wild-caught will tend to have less contaminants and more trace minerals. Mercury can be found in both farm-raised and wild-caught seafood due to industrial pollution that finds its way into lakes, rivers and oceans.
• Sustainability: As mentioned earlier, wild-caught fish will not be able to fill the demand. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch is one of the most well-known resources for understanding seafood sustainability and provides consumer guides based on country and region. Some sustainable options include salmon (U.S. and New Zealand), trout (U.S. farmed) and Pacific cod (U.S.). Check out the consumer guides from Seafood Watch.

If the fish or seafood is not labeled wild-caught, it is most likely farm raised.

All seafood sold in the US is required to have the Country-of-Origin Label (COOL). This is important as the seafood can be harvested in one country and processed in another. Make sure you know where it was harvested or farmed. Different countries have different guidelines and therefore different quality.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both wild-caught and farm-raised fish. When sourced responsibly, wild caught are usually harvested in less polluted waters, but the demand for wild-caught fish has caused over-harvesting and sometimes unsustainable practices. Farm-raised fish can yield great quality when farmed correctly and responsibly, resulting in product consistency, size, and flavor, and can assist in sustainability. Some of the potential disadvantages of farm-raised fish include overcrowding, polluted waters, and lower-quality feed given to the fish.

In addition to nutrition, flavor, and environmental impact, contaminants, including mercury and PCBs, may play a role in which fish you choose. Mercury levels are a concern for all ocean-raised fish, whether they grew up in an enclosure in the ocean or were caught wild. Smaller fish such as anchovies, herring, sardines, and shellfish tend to have lower mercury levels than larger fish such as swordfish. When buying tuna, choose “light” tuna (skipjack) for the least mercury.

With so many variables to consider, know your source and do the best you can with that knowledge. Our oceans may seem infinite, but their resources are not. Educate yourself on issues surrounding sustainability and seafood. Before buying fish or shellfish, find out where and how it’s caught. If it’s farm-raised, learn about the farm’s management practices. If you do your homework, you can make quality decisions when it come to purchasing your seafood both for your health and the environment.

Do you eat seafood at least once a week? Do you prefer wild-caught or farm-raised? What is your most favorite type of fish or seafood to eat?

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Heather

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