Recently, fish have been in the news. Fish high in toxins. Fish that cost less. Fish hurting the U.S. fishing industry. An outcry for more government regulation to protect us from these fish (and to keep U.S. fisher folk with a job).
At a time when ½ the people are saying “less government” and a whole lot of other issues are on the table, I would not hold my breath for government regulations to save me from toxic fish. Know the source, know the type, eat less. That 99 cent filet-o-fish sandwich? Probably not a good choice. Even “high end” restaurants are helping their bottom line by sourcing their fish from ever cheaper sources.
Most Americans probably have hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of electronics, but when it comes time to put something into our bodies, the cheaper the better. Next time you see the same kind of fish from two different sources – ask yourself why one of them is so much cheaper. There has to be a reason: cheap labor, polluted/non-regulated waters, etc. We also need to think about where we do our own fishing – right here in Minnesota many lakes are polluted from farm, lawn and road chemicals.
In addition to potential toxins, many fishing practices harm other water life or completely wipe out a food source for another creature. The bigger fishing operations often wipe out the smaller ones, with devastating results to villages and families.
Need a guide to which fish are safe? There is a lot of information on the internet (of course!) about this subject. Here’s one link to get you started.
