The Atlantic Fish You Should Avoid Eating Regularly For More Reasons Than One - Tasting Table

"As its name implies, Pacific halibut is caught in the Pacific ocean, off the coasts of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska. The Pacific halibut population is healthy, thanks to U.S. and Canadian fisheries' sustainable wild-fishing practices. The same, however, can't be said about Atlantic halibut, which it is thought has been so seriously over-fished that the species is not expected to rebound until 2055."

"The biggest culprits in depleting the once-plentiful Atlantic halibut stock are New England fisheries, which use bottom trawl nets. Bottom trawls are weighted nets that are pulled along the ocean floor, scooping up any living creature in their path and causing damage to the seabed. These nets are used mostly for catching crabs, shrimp, and bottom-feeding fish like flounder and pollack - and Atlantic halibut are also bottom feeders and swept up by this method."

"According to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, the catch of Atlantic halibut has been precipitously low for at least 100 years, and because of this dire situation, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Watch has issued an advisory to avoid eating Atlantic halibut as "it poses a high risk to the environment." Another issue with Atlantic halibut is that, like most large fish, it's very high in mercury and could pose a health risk if regularly consumed."

Halibut offers firm texture and buttery flavor, and two species are fished in the U.S.: Pacific and Atlantic halibut. Pacific halibut is caught off Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska, and its population remains healthy because of sustainable U.S. and Canadian wild-fishing practices. Atlantic halibut has been heavily overfished and is not expected to rebound until around 2055. New England bottom trawl fishing has depleted stocks and damaged seabeds by indiscriminately scooping bottom-dwelling species. Regulatory and advisory bodies recommend avoiding Atlantic halibut, which is also high in mercury and poses health risks if consumed regularly.

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