Growing up in South Carolina, I recall fondly the many trips to our beaches, not only for sun, sand, & surf but also for the constant search for “the best” seafood restaurant. Of course “best” then was usually evaluated in terms of variety and price. Today, beach trips are still a treasured respite (‘tho I now more often succumb to the lure of the mountains) but the factors which define the “best” seafood have shifted. Perhaps we had less pollution and over-fishing when I was young (more likely I was just blissfully unaware), but today the temptations of my palate are often overruled by the knowledge in my forebrain.

Luckily, we do have some information sources to help us in our choices. The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) has published a Sustainable Seafood Guide with these tips for making your seafood selections (See http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/seafoodguide/):

Seven Quick Tips for Selecting Seafood

When in doubt about choosing seafood in a store or restaurant, here are seven basic guidelines that you can follow to help pick seafood that is healthy and sustainable:

Eat lower on the food chain

Smaller fish tend to be more plentiful and better for your health because they contain less mercury. Great small seafood to choose includes squid, oysters, mackerel, sardines and mussels.

Buy American

American seafood isn't perfect, but the U.S. variety of a particular type of fish is generally better than its imported counterpart because this country has stricter fishing and farming standards than other parts of the world.

Buy wild

Given current issues with the environmental impact of fish farming, a wild-caught fish is almost always better than a farmed fish of the same variety for your health and the environment.

Eat local

Unless you're eating fish from a nearby body of water, it has to be frozen or transported, which uses more energy. And it's very likely that it was caught or farmed en masse in order to keep the price down. You're usually better off eating the local variety of a particular type of fish instead of its counterpart from across the country, unless that species has been depleted in local waters. (See the NRDC's Eat or Avoid? section for more guidance.)

Buy from trusted retailers

Certain businesses have set higher standards for the seafood they sell in their stores, and many have pledged to create long-term sustainable seafood plans. Find guides to good retailers at the Conservation Alliance for Sustainable Seafood Solutions and Greenpeace.

Ask where your fish came from

The health of different species varies by region. Alaskan seafood such as salmon and halibut, when caught in sustainable ways, is generally good for you and the environment.

Look for the blue sticker

The Marine Stewardship Council certifies seafood that is caught or raised in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner. Items that meet its criteria are marked with a MSC-certified sticker like the one shown here.

Hopefully I’ve not ruined anyone’s dining pleasures (apologies to those Chilean Sea Bass enthusiasts), but with a little information we can enjoy our natural resources enjoyably and responsibly. Bon Appétit!