Guilt-Free Gfilte

So far my recipes have been vegan-ish, and that's really the easiest way I found to eat in a manner that coalesces all of the commitments I aspire to live. (Also my eating buddy, doesn't like fish, so in a Zen kind of way, life simplifies itself.)

Nevertheless, the NYT published the following guide on guilt-free fish. (Published: May 31, 2006) The standards seem to reflect levels of contaminants, rather than a measure of food-for-all/ecological impact, but here is the list, and an accompanying article that seems to reveal more about the standard.

A Guide to Guilt-Free Fish

A Guide to Guilt-Free Fish
Published: May 31, 2006
These fish can be eaten once a week by adults, according to an assessment of contaminant levels by Environmental Defense. Those marked with an asterisk can be eaten more than once a week.
WILD
*ANCHOVIES
ARCTIC CHAR, color added
*ATLANTIC BUTTERFISH
*BLACK COD (Sable, Butterfish on West Coast)
*BLACK SEA BASS Younger children no more than four times a month
*HADDOCK
*HAKE (white, silver and red)
HAKE (Chilean, Cape and Argentine)
*HALIBUT (Pacific only) Older children 3 times a month, younger children twice
*HERRING
*MACKEREL (Atlantic or Boston only)
MAHI-MAHI Younger children 3 times a month
*PACIFIC COD
*PACIFIC SAND DAB (yellowtail flounder)
*PACIFIC WHITING
*PLAICE
PORGIES
*SALMON (Pacific)
*SARDINES
*SHAD
SMELT
*SOLE (gray, petrale, rex, yellowfin)
SOLE (Dover; English or lemon, older children 3 times a month, younger children twice)
WHITEFISH
FARMED
CARP
CATFISH (domestic)
STRIPED BASS (rockfish)
*TILAPIA
*TROUT (rainbow); TROUT (steelhead)
SHELLFISH
*CLAMS (northern quahogs)
CLAMS (Atlantic surf, butter, Manila, ocean quahog, Pacific geoduck, Pacific littleneck and soft-shell)
*CRAB (Dungeness, snow) Dungeness: younger children once a week
CRAB (Florida stone, Jonah, king)
*CRAYFISH (United States)
*LOBSTER (American) Children 2 to 4 times a month
*MUSSELS (farmed blue; wild blue, children 2 to 3 times a month)
MUSSELS (New Zealand green, Mediterranean)
OYSTERS (farmed Eastern and Pacific)
*SCALLOPS (bay; Northeast, Canadian sea)
*SHRIMP (wild American pink, white, brown)
SHRIMP (spot prawns and northern shrimp)
*SQUID
*SPINY LOBSTER (Caribbean, United States, and Australia
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Holy Mackerel and Other Guilt-Free Fish
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

The information put out by food safety and environmental organizations paints a discouraging and sometimes confusing picture about which seafood to eat. They list dozens of species whose well-being is threatened by overfishing; fish whose harvesting threatens species that are accidentally caught and discarded; and fish that contain dangerous levels of mercury, PCB's and pesticides. Some people simply ignore the warnings.

But what of the fish you can eat without worrying?

Like the shy kid at the dance whose charms are not readily apparent, unpopularity has kept some species in circulation, waiting to be discovered. Atlantic mackerel wears its reputation like a pocket protector and horn-rimmed glasses, but a little attention reveals its sweet side. When a vegan I know returned to eating fish, then extolled the marvels of mackerel, I knew it was time to give it a whirl.
Chilean sea bass may be everyone's delight, but it is being loved to death and needs a break from its fans. Pacific halibut, black cod and mahi-mahi are excellent substitutes for Chilean sea bass, which, if it went by its real name — Patagonian toothfish — might not be so popular.

Sardines have become the worthy darlings of Italian restaurants, and with a quick pan-frying the smelts of my youth taste just as good today.

The alternatives to depleted wild fish stocks are often farmed versions. But some of them raise troubling environmental and health concerns (salmon) or are just not very tasty (tilapia). On the other hand, farmed rainbow trout and catfish are delicious, even just pan-fried with a dusting of cornmeal. And for those who love shellfish and mollusks, there are few restrictions.

Among these choices, there are some that are high in the omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease: wild salmon, including canned; Atlantic mackerel; herring; sardines; black cod; anchovies; and farmed oysters.

Our list is made up of fish with no environmental issues: they can be eaten once a week or more. It is drawn from Oceans Alive, a Web site of Environmental Defense, an advocacy group. The list focuses on concerns about hazards to humans from contaminants and harm to fish from industrial harvesting.
Environmental Defense provided additional information to The New York Times about fish available in New York City markets that are not on its official list. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, which has a Web site that focuses on environmental concerns (mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp), works closely with Environmental Defense.
The Oceans Alive Web site (oceansalive.org/eat.cfm) has information on almost 200 species of finfish, shellfish and mollusks. Many carry an eco-best or an eco-worst stamp, judgments based on the impact fishing will have on species' populations. Others have a health concern stamp, and the site suggests how many times a month those fish can be safely eaten by men, women, children up to age 6 and children ages 6 to 12. Serving sizes are eight ounces for men, six for women, four and a half for older children and three for young children.

If Oceans Alive cannot find enough data on contaminants in a species, it recommends eating it no more than once a week.

In compiling our list, seafood considered an eco-worst, like Chilean sea bass, was not included, whether or not a health concern exists. At the same time, some species, like wild striped bass, are considered an eco-best because of stringent fishing regulations, but Oceans Alive said they should not be consumed because of high levels of contaminants. So they were not included. (Farmed striped bass can be eaten once a week, according to the organization, but the taste is not as appealing.)
Not everyone agrees that those contaminants create a hazard. The tuna industry, for example, believes the levels of mercury in their species are low enough that the benefits of eating tuna outweigh the risks. Others say the levels of PCB's and pesticides have dropped considerably in the last 20 years and are not dangerous.
Buying fish on the no-problems list can be tricky. Fish counters are stingy with information, and their signs can be deceiving. Last year The Times found that much of the salmon labeled as wild in New York City stores in the off-season was farmed. By law, fish must be labeled with country of origin, but stores seldom provide specifics.

Good luck finding out whether the halibut in the case is from the Pacific or the Atlantic. The former is highly recommended, the latter is overfished and can be contaminated with mercury. But the more customers annoy fish store managers with questions, the more likely they are to receive answers. Fishmongers should know whether fish is farmed or wild at least.

Not everyone is going to like all of the no-problems fish. But the sole and the halibut, the sardines and the mahi-mahi, not to mention all of the shellfish, would be high on most lists. Then there's wild salmon, my splurge in season and a favorite even in winter. When it has been properly frozen, it is delicious, much better than fresh-farmed.