This was copied from National Geographics website article 28 January 2009.

Best Fish For Your Health and The Sea's

By The Green Guide Editors

>Photograph Courtesy Shutterstock Images

Fish provide essential nutrients and fatty acids—especially for developing bodies and brains—and make a perfect protein-filled, lean meal whether grilled, baked, poached or served as sushi. Yet overfishing, habitat loss and declining water quality have wreaked havoc on many fish populations. Furthermore, many are contaminated with brain-damagining mecury and other toxic chemicals. If the pickings appear slim, check out our "Yes" fish where you'll find many options available. As for our "Sometimes" fish, these may be eaten occasionally, while "No" fish should be avoid entirely.

YES Fish

Low mercury (L), not overfished or farmed destructively

Abalone (farmed) L
Anchovies L
Arctic char (farmed) L
Barramundi (U.S. farmed) L
Catfish (U.S. farmed) L
Caviar (U.S. or French farmed) L
Clams, soft-shell and steamers (farmed) L
Crab, Dungeness (U.S. , trapcaught) L
Crab, imitation (AK, wild-caught) L
Crab, snow (Canada) L
Crab, stone (FL) L
Crawfish (U.S. farmed) L
Cuttlefish L
Herring (Atlantic)
Hoki L
Lobster, spiny/rock (U.S., Australia, Baja west coast) L
Mackerel, Atlantic (purse seine-caught) L
Mussels (U.S. farmed) L
Oysters (Pacific farmed) L
Pollock (AK, wild-caught) L
Prawn, spot (BC, wild-caught) L
Salmon (AK, wild-caught) L
Sardines L
Scallops, bay (U.S. farmed) L
Shrimp, pink (OR, wild-caught) L
Squid, longfin (U.S. Atlantic) L
Striped bass (farmed) L
Tilapia (U.S. farmed) L
Trout, rainbow (U.S. farmed) L

SOMETIMES Fish

Recovering and/or moderate mercury (M) - once/month

Black Sea Bass
Bluefish M
Calamari L
Clams (caught) L
Cod (Pacific) M
Crab, blue (Gulf Coast) M
Crab, king (AK) L
Crab, kona (HI, Australia) L
Crab, snow (AK) L
Croaker (Atlantic) L
Flounder (Pacific) L
Haddock (hook and line)
Hake, silver, red and offshore (wildcaught) L
Halibut (Pacific, wild-caught) M
Jacksmelt M
Lake Trout (Lake Superior) high PCBs
Lake Whitefish high PCBs
Lingcod
Lobster, Maine M
Mackerel, Spanish (Atlantic) M
Mahimahi (troll-caught) M
Mussels, blue M
Octopus (HI, Gulf of California; wild-caught) L
Pomfret, big scale
Prawn, spot (U.S., wild-caught) L
Round whitefish (Lake Huron, Lake Michigan)
Sablefish/black cod M (best if from Alaska or Canada)
Salmon (CA, OR,WA; wild-caught) L
Sanddabs L
Scup/Porgy
Shrimp (U.S. Atlantic, U.S. Gulf of Mexico; farmed or trawl-caught) L
Shrimp, northern (Canadian and U.S. Atlantic; wild-caught) L
Sole (Pacific) L
Squid, jumbo (Gulf of California)
Tilapia (Central America farmed) L
Trevally L
Tuna (canned light) M
Tuna (troll-caught Pacific albacore) M
Yellow Perch (Lake Huron, Lake Ontario)
Wahoo

NO Fish

Overfished, farmed destructively and/or high mercury (MM)

Alewife, River Herring
Arctic char (freshwater) MM
Basa (China farmed)
Bass/sea bass (wild) MM
Catfish (China farmed)
Catfish (wild) MM
Caviar (Russian/Iranian) L
Chilean sea bass MM
Cod (Atlantic) M
Conch, queen L
Crab, king (imported) L
Crawfish (farmed, imported) L
Croaker (Pacific) aka White Croaker MM
Dace (China farmed)
Eel (American and European)
Eel (China farmed)
Flounder (Atlantic) PCBs L
Grenadier
Groupers MM
Gulf corvina (white sea bass)
Haddock (trawl-caught) L
Hake, white
Halibut (Atlantic) MM
Lake Trout (Lake Huron, Lake Michigan) high PCBs
Lobster (Caribbean) L
Lobster, spiny (all imports but Australia) L
Mackerel, king and Spanish (Gulf of Mexico) MM
Mahimahi (imported longline) M
Marlin MM
Monkfish M
Octopus (imported, trawl-caught) L
Opah MM
Orange roughy MM
Oysters (eastern, Gulf Coast)
Paddlefish (wild)
PCBs, MM
Pike MM
Pompano, Florida M
Rockfish (Pacific red snapper; trawl-caught) M
Salmon (Atlantic, farmed, Wild from CA,OR or WA) PCBs, Great Lakes M
Sea Scallops (Mid Atlantic)
Sea turtles
Shad
Shark MM,
Shrimp (imported) L
Skate M
Snapper (mutton)
Snapper (rimported, red, silk, vermillion, yellowtail) M
Sole (Atlantic) L
Spotted Seatrout
Sturgeon (Atlantic, wild-caught imported)
Swordfish MM
Tilapia (China, Taiwan farmed) L
Tilefish MM
Totoaba
Tuna, canned white, albacore, bigeye, bluefin, yellowfin MM
Turbot (Greenland halibut) L
Yellow perch MM
Walleye MM
Weakfish

Warnings are based on populations of highest concern (children and women who are pregnant, nursing or of childbearing age). To learn which fish from local water bodies are safe to eat, call your state department of health, or see www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish. Besides mercury, toxins can include PCBs, dioxins and pesticides.

In compiling this list, the Green Guide referred to resources at the web sites of the Food and Drug Administration, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Environmental Working Group, Environmental Defense Foundation and Oceana among others.