12 Fish You Should Probably Stop Eating Now

Orange Roughy

Reaching full maturity after 20 to 40 years, Orange Roughly has been greatly over-harvested and since the fish also doesn't typically bread until 30 years old has had a difficult time recovering. Although sometimes labeled as sustainably harvested, don't be fooled: none of these fisheries are certified. This fish also contains high levels of mercury.

Atlantic Flatfish

Overfished since in the 1800s and heavy contaminated, Atlantic flatfish, which includes sole, halibut, and flounder, should be avoided. The population of Altantic Flatfish is now as low as one percent, according to Food & Water Watch, making it not sustainable for long-term fishing.

Imported Shrimp

Shrimp might be delicious, but with 90% of our shrimp coming from overseas, most are able to bypassing inspection once sold. Imported shrimp has been found to be loaded with antibiotics, chemical residue, rodent excrement and other vile things, some have even tested positive for E. coli. Try to only buy domestically, as there is much more regulation and inspection than overseas fish.

Farmed Salmon

If you have ever seen a salmon farm, you know why you don't want to eat fish from it. With thousands trapped in small pens, the area becomes a breeding ground for disease and parasites, then treated with antibiotics and pesticides. The persistent organic pollutants found in farmed salmon has been found as a contribute to weight gain and an increased risk of diabetes.

Farmed Salmon

Farming salmon is also horrible for the environment, causing increases in ocean pollution and declines in the native salmon populations. Most farmed fish are labeled 'Atlantic salmon' and should definitely be avoided.

Farmed Tilapia

Although Tilapia has lower levels of mercury then most other popular fish, farmed tilapia has been found to have 2 times higher level of Dibutylin, a chemical that is found in PVC plastics, than native populations. Dibutylin has been linked to impaired immune systems and for the rise in obesity and allergies.

Imported Catfish

If you are going to eat catfish, opt for fish caught in the United States. Otherwise, you might end up with unwanted antibiotics in your system that the U.S. government has banned. These antibiotics are still available in Vietnam which is where we obtain 90% of our imported catfish. There are also different varieties of Catfish from Vietnam, two of which the federal government does not consider catfish thus not held up to the same inspection standards.

Chilean Sea Bass

If you live in the United States and eat Chilean sea bass, there is a good chance the fishermen who caught it broke the law. Greenpeace thinks the fish will eventually become extinct, for this reason. If this is not enough to convince you, note that it is high in mercury.

Shark

Many people consider shark to be a delicacy but eating it presents a whole host of problems. Sharks tend to be high in mercury, but killing them also means getting rid of other foods you enjoy, such as scallops. Sharks eat smaller predators that prey on scallops and other types of edible fish. The number of scallops will decline if the number of sharks in the ocean does, too.

Grouper

If you like to eat grouper, pay close attention: the Centers for Disease Control issued a warning in 2013 stating that it can be poisonous. Sort of like food poisoning, eating the fish can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, but it can become more dangerous and lead to neurological problems. Unfortunately, the toxin that causes the poisoning is hard to detect.

Caviar

Caviar is not necessarily bad for you, but it is bad for your ecosystem, which will eventually affect you. People are overfishing beluga sturgeons in order to sell the product, and dams pollute the water where the fish live. It takes a long time for these fish to reach the right age to produce caviar, so killing off much of the population will soon make this expensive delicacy even rarer than it already is.

Atlantic Cod

Although directly relating to the financial health of New England fishermen, the mismanagement and stock collapse in the 1990s have left Atlantic cod to be listed one step higher than endangered International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. You can still eat Pacific cod with your fish 'n' chips, as the market for this cod is strong and healthy.

Swordfish

With the highest mercury count of any fish, it's not just pregnant women that should be avoiding this seafood delicacy. Avoid any swordfish that come from a deep water with anaerobic organisms, the sulfur based bacteria forms methyl mercury within the swordfish which have been found to bio accumulation rapidly up the food chain. These deep water areas have unfortunately been growing in past years due to increase in warmer waters making it more difficult to find lower mercury levels in swordfish.

This Article originally appeared on answers.com

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