[ChristianaB]

Hi everyone,

Since I don't eat meat, I try to get some of my protein from wild caught fish. Lately I've been hearing/seeing things that suggests that some of the fish I've been eating have high levels of mercury, which I otherwise had not known. I thought I was being careful with the fish I chose but I suppose my knowledge of mercury-prone fish is not up to par anymore.

Can anyone help me out with some straight-forward answers pertaining to good and bad options when choosing fish? I try to stick to raw or almost raw fish (not sure if that makes a difference)... but any information helps!

Thanks a bunch 

[LucianWayne]

Have you gone to a Farmer's Market and talked to the fisherpeople there about the fish they have available? You'll get super fresh fish(hopefully) and might find out about the lead. I was lucky to get sardines earlier this season, and regularly get ahi and salmon. The market I goto also has pre-cut sashimi ahi, so that will take the prep work out of the ahi for you.

[jodi f.]

www.seafoodwatch.org is a guide from the Monterey Bay Aquarium about purchasing fish . The guide is provided primarily to help consumers choose fish that are raised sustainably, but they have red asterisks beside those that pose health risks due to mercury or other pollutants. They have downloadable wallet cards for various sections of the U.S.

I also love raw fish, but a bout of parasites has left me determined to eat only fish that has been frozen for at least 2 weeks--not as tasty but so much easier on the GI tract. I eat the wild salmon from Trader Joe's regularly with no problem, and when it's from Alaska my understanding is that it's not toxic. If you, or anyone, knows differently, please let me know (I think. Gee, do I really want to know? Sometimes ignorance really is bliss, at least in the short term).

[AmandaL]

Many people buy their fish at Vitalchoice.com.   Its pretty expensive, I think (if my math is correct, its about $45/lb. for wild alaskan salmon).   

This might be extreme, but twice a year we go to Alaska and catch our own fish.   a $3000 trip yeilds approx 200lbs of a variety wild salmon, halibut etc., about $15/lb for the best fish.  Plus an adventure which typically includes boats and helicopters--fun if you like that kind of stuff.    Organized trips include the processing and packaging of the fish. 

Again a little extreme, but fun and yum.