Bad Fish – Part 3

Monkfish is taken primarily with bottom trawls and dredges, which result in high levels of by-catch and habitat damage. This Atlantic bottomfish was once considered worthless, but rising prices led to rapid overfishing and crashing populations.

According to Fish Watch, in 1999 scientists determined that “the monkfish resource had fallen below sustainable levels (overfished)”. By 2008, however, the monkfish resource had been rebuilt. Now the focus is on maintaining sustainability and lowering the impact on other species.

This is an “OK” choice according the Environmental Defense Fund due to moderate mercury levels. If you decide to eat monkfish, we recommend the following: Adults and children (age 6-12) should eat no more than 4 meals per month and children up to age 6 should eat no more than 3 meals per month.

You might think that farm raised fish would be a good alternative to some of the wild caught species. Personally, I have issues with farm raised fish. I believe they are more polluted than the kind that live in the wild. So choose wisely.