3 Fish I Tell People to Stop Buying — And What to Eat Instead

by Oleg Nikitenko October 03, 2019

3 Fish I Tell People to Stop Buying — And What to Eat Instead

I've been in the seafood industry for a long time. I've sourced fish from Alaska, the Pacific Coast, and international suppliers. I've seen what good sourcing looks like and what bad sourcing looks like. And there are three fish that I consistently tell people to stop buying — not because they taste bad, but because of what they are, where they come from, and what buying them supports.

This is not a list of fish that are dangerous to eat. None of these will kill you. But two of them have serious problems that most people buying them at the grocery store don't know about, and one of them is a sustainability crisis that has been ongoing for thirty years with no end in sight. You deserve to know the specifics, not just a vague warning.

For each one, I'll give you the honest reason to avoid it and the specific alternative I recommend instead — fish that are better for you, better for the ocean, and in most cases better on the plate.

1. Farmed Tilapia (From Certain Regions)

Let me be precise here, because the tilapia situation is more nuanced than most "fish to avoid" articles acknowledge. Tilapia is not inherently a bad fish. It is a mild, affordable, widely available freshwater fish that is genuinely useful for people who want an inexpensive protein. The problem is not tilapia. The problem is where most of the tilapia sold in the United States comes from and how it is farmed.

The Sourcing Problem

Approximately 70–80% of the tilapia sold in the United States is imported from China. Chinese tilapia aquaculture has been repeatedly documented — by the FDA, by investigative journalists, and by independent researchers — to use practices that would not be permitted in the United States: feeding fish waste and animal feces to tilapia as a cost-cutting measure, using antibiotics and antimicrobials that are banned in the US, and operating in water bodies with high levels of industrial contamination. The FDA tests only a small fraction of imported seafood — approximately 1–2% of shipments — which means that contaminated product regularly enters the US market.

This is not speculation. In 2007, the FDA detained shipments of Chinese tilapia after finding residues of malachite green (a carcinogenic antifungal agent banned in US aquaculture) and other prohibited substances. The problem has not been resolved. Chinese tilapia continues to be sold in US supermarkets, often without clear country-of-origin labeling.

The Nutritional Problem

Farmed tilapia — regardless of origin — has a nutritional profile that is significantly worse than most other fish. Wild tilapia feeds on algae and aquatic plants, which gives it a reasonable omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. Farmed tilapia is fed a corn and soy-based diet, which produces a fish with very low omega-3 content and a high omega-6 content. A 2008 study from Wake Forest University found that farmed tilapia has a higher inflammatory potential than hamburger or pork bacon — not because it is high in fat, but because the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is so unfavorable. For people eating fish specifically for the cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits of omega-3s, farmed tilapia provides almost none of those benefits.

What to Eat Instead

Alaskan Pollock is the direct substitute: mild, white, flaky, inexpensive, and MSC-certified from one of the most sustainably managed fisheries in the world. It has a better nutritional profile than farmed tilapia (more omega-3s, lower omega-6 to omega-3 ratio) and costs approximately the same. Pacific Cod is the premium alternative: slightly more flavor, larger flake, excellent for fish and chips or any preparation where you want a more substantial piece of fish. Both are wild-caught from Alaskan waters under strict management, with no antibiotics, no prohibited substances, and full traceability.

If you specifically want farmed fish — for the price consistency and year-round availability — look for tilapia farmed in the United States, Canada, or Peru, where farming standards are significantly higher than in China. It will cost more, but it is a fundamentally different product.

🔗 Alaskan Pollock Fillets | 🔗 Pacific Cod Fillets

2. Atlantic Cod

Atlantic cod is one of the great tragedies of modern fisheries management. For five centuries, the Grand Banks cod fishery off Newfoundland was the most productive fishery in the world — so abundant that early European explorers reported being able to lower baskets into the water and pull them up full of fish. The fishery supported the economies of New England and Atlantic Canada for generations. And then, in the early 1990s, it collapsed.

What Happened

The collapse was not a surprise to the scientists who had been monitoring the stock. By the late 1980s, the data was clear: the Atlantic cod population was being harvested far faster than it could reproduce. The fishing industry and the Canadian government ignored the warnings. In 1992, the Canadian government declared a moratorium on Atlantic cod fishing — the largest industrial layoff in Canadian history, putting approximately 40,000 people out of work overnight.

That was over thirty years ago. The Atlantic cod has not recovered. The moratorium is still in effect for the most depleted stocks. The reasons for the failure to recover are complex — changes in ocean temperature, shifts in the food web caused by the collapse itself, continued bycatch from trawling for other species — but the result is the same: Atlantic cod is still critically depleted, and buying it still supports a fishery that is not sustainable.

The Labeling Problem

Here is the practical issue: much of the fish sold as "cod" in the United States is not labeled by species or by ocean of origin. "Cod" on a menu or a fish counter could be Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, or any of several other species that are sold under the cod name. If you are buying cod and you care about sustainability, you need to ask specifically: is this Pacific cod or Atlantic cod? Where was it caught? If the seller cannot answer, that is itself an answer.

What to Eat Instead

Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is the direct substitute. It is closely related to Atlantic cod — same family, similar flavor, similar texture — and it is caught in the well-managed waters of the North Pacific and Bering Sea. The Alaskan Pacific cod fishery is MSC-certified and has maintained healthy stock levels under strict management. The flavor is slightly milder than Atlantic cod, with a firm, chunky flake that works beautifully in fish and chips, fish tacos, chowder, or any preparation where you would use Atlantic cod. It is, in my opinion, the better fish — not just the more sustainable one.

Alaskan Pollock is the budget alternative: even milder than Pacific cod, slightly smaller flake, but excellent in all the same preparations and significantly less expensive.

🔗 Pacific Cod Fillets | 🔗 Full Whitefish Collection

3. Atlantic Flounder

Atlantic flounder — particularly winter flounder and summer flounder (fluke) from the US Atlantic coast — has two problems: contamination and population depletion. Both are serious, and both have been documented for decades.

The Contamination History

Flounder is a bottom-dwelling flatfish. It lives on and in the sediment of the ocean floor, feeding on organisms that live in the sediment. This makes it particularly vulnerable to bioaccumulation of contaminants that settle in sediment — heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins, and other persistent organic pollutants that have been discharged into coastal waters by industrial activity over the past century.

The contamination problem with Atlantic flounder is not theoretical. In the 1980s, studies of winter flounder in Boston Harbor found that more than 75% of fish examined had liver tumors or other signs of disease — a direct result of the severe contamination of Boston Harbor sediments. Cleanup efforts since then have significantly improved conditions in Boston Harbor specifically, but the broader issue of sediment contamination in Atlantic coastal waters has not been fully resolved. Flounder from heavily industrialized coastal areas — parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast — continue to carry elevated levels of contaminants.

The Population Problem

Atlantic flounder populations have been severely depleted by overfishing. Winter flounder, once one of the most abundant fish in New England coastal waters, has been listed as a species of concern by NOAA for years. Summer flounder (fluke) has fared somewhat better under management, but the overall picture for Atlantic flatfish is not good. The slow growth rate of flounder — some species take 10–15 years to reach maturity, not the 50 years sometimes cited, but still slow relative to most commercial fish — means that populations recover slowly when depleted.

What to Eat Instead

Pacific halibut is the premium alternative: a large Pacific flatfish with a firm, white, mild flesh that is superior to flounder in flavor and texture. Pacific halibut is caught in well-managed Alaskan and Pacific Coast fisheries, is MSC-certified, and has a clean, sweet flavor with a large, firm flake that holds up to any cooking method. It is more expensive than flounder, but it is a significantly better fish in every respect.

Pacific Dover sole and Petrale sole are the more affordable Pacific flatfish alternatives: mild, delicate, and excellent pan-fried or baked. Both are caught in Pacific Coast fisheries with better management and lower contamination risk than their Atlantic counterparts.

Pacific halibut cheeks deserve a specific mention: the small, round pieces of meat from the cheeks of the halibut are the most prized cut of the fish, with a sweetness and tenderness that is extraordinary. They are the flatfish preparation that most clearly demonstrates what Pacific flatfish can be at its best.

🔗 Pacific Halibut Fillet | 🔗 Halibut Cheeks | 🔗 Pacific Dover Sole | 🔗 Petrale Sole

The Pattern: Atlantic vs. Pacific

If you look at the three fish on this list, a pattern emerges: two of them are Atlantic species (Atlantic cod, Atlantic flounder), and the alternatives I recommend are Pacific species. This is not a coincidence.

The North Atlantic has been fished intensively for five centuries — longer than any other ocean on earth. The result is a set of fish populations that are significantly more depleted than their Pacific counterparts, and coastal waters that carry a heavier burden of industrial contamination from centuries of development. The North Pacific, by contrast, has been managed more carefully and more recently, and the major Alaskan fisheries — Pollock, Pacific cod, Pacific halibut, Pacific salmon — are among the best-managed fisheries in the world.

The practical rule: when you have a choice between an Atlantic and a Pacific version of the same type of fish, choose Pacific. It is almost always the more sustainable, more carefully managed, and lower-contamination option.

A Note on Tilapia: When It's Fine

I want to be clear that my concern about tilapia is specifically about tilapia from poorly regulated aquaculture operations — primarily Chinese imports. Tilapia farmed in the United States, Canada, or Peru under regulated conditions is a different product. It is still not a great source of omega-3s (the corn and soy diet issue applies regardless of origin), but the contamination and antibiotic concerns are significantly reduced. If you are buying tilapia and you can verify the origin and the farming practices, it is not on my avoid list. If you cannot verify those things — which is the case for most tilapia sold in US supermarkets — I would choose something else.

Shop Sustainable Pacific Seafood

🎥 Watch sustainable seafood cooking videos on the Global Seafoods YouTube Channel

FAQs: Fish to Avoid

Q1: Is all tilapia bad for you?

No — the concern is specifically about tilapia from poorly regulated aquaculture operations, primarily Chinese imports. The documented problems — use of prohibited antibiotics and antimicrobials, feeding practices that introduce contaminants, operation in polluted water bodies — are associated with specific sourcing regions, not with tilapia as a species. Tilapia farmed in the United States, Canada, or Peru under regulated conditions is a different product with significantly lower contamination risk. The nutritional concern (low omega-3, high omega-6 ratio from corn and soy feeding) applies to all farmed tilapia regardless of origin, but it is a nutritional limitation rather than a safety issue. If you can verify the origin and farming practices of your tilapia, it is not necessarily a fish to avoid. If you cannot — which is the case for most tilapia sold in US supermarkets — choose Alaskan Pollock or Pacific cod instead.

Q2: Can I still eat Atlantic cod?

The Atlantic cod situation varies by stock and by fishery. Some Atlantic cod stocks — particularly those in the Northeast Arctic (Barents Sea), managed jointly by Norway and Russia — are in better condition than the severely depleted Canadian and US stocks. Norwegian Atlantic cod from the Barents Sea is rated "Good Alternative" by Seafood Watch. The stocks to avoid are those from the Northwest Atlantic — the Grand Banks and Gulf of Maine stocks that collapsed in the 1990s and have not recovered. If you are buying cod and cannot determine the specific stock of origin, Pacific cod is the safe choice: it is nearly identical in flavor and texture, and it comes from well-managed Alaskan fisheries with no sustainability concerns.

Q3: Why is Atlantic flounder worse than Pacific flatfish?

Two reasons: contamination and population status. Atlantic flounder is a bottom-dwelling fish in coastal waters that have been subject to industrial contamination for over a century — the documented tumor rates in Boston Harbor flounder in the 1980s (over 75% of fish examined) are the most dramatic example, but the broader issue of sediment contamination in Atlantic coastal waters is real and ongoing. Pacific flatfish — halibut, Dover sole, Petrale sole — are caught in the cleaner, less industrialized waters of the North Pacific, with lower contamination risk. The population situation is also better: Pacific halibut is MSC-certified and well-managed; Atlantic flounder stocks are depleted and under management concern.

Q4: What is the single best sustainable white fish to buy?

Alaskan Pollock for everyday cooking: MSC-certified since 2005, the most sustainably managed large fishery in the world, mild and versatile, inexpensive. Pacific cod for a step up in flavor and texture: same fishery management standards, slightly more pronounced flavor, larger flake, excellent for fish and chips or any preparation where you want a more substantial piece of fish. Pacific halibut for a premium occasion: the finest Pacific whitefish, with a firm, sweet, clean flavor that is extraordinary when cooked simply. All three are wild-caught from Alaskan waters, all three are MSC-certified, and all three are better choices than any of the three fish on this avoid list.

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