Are Fish Toxic?

Precious flower

This has been on my mind the last few months so I'd like to get it cleared up. There has been a lot of conversation on how polluted the ocean has become with the vast amount of chemicals having been poured into it. Consequently, people have been talking more about the food that is coming out of the ocean as being potentially leaden with chemicals and very harmful to the human body.

The benefits of fish are constantly repeated at us by health officials and the media and I would just like to know is this really the case? It makes sense that the flesh of the fish would absorb these toxics and that we would too when we ingest them. The bigger the fish the more toxins. So should we avoid fish altogether? And is farmed fish better in this respect than wild fish, (even though farmed fish causes a lot of problems in itself)? Apologies if this is a foolish question but I'm just curious.:) Thank you!

Also, it really bothers me that wild fish that are vulnerable or endangered are still allowed to be fished and sold and lesser known but more populous fish are ignored.

Speedwell

Some fish tend to concentrate heavy metals and such in their bodies because they are far up the food chain. Eating lower down the food chain minimizes the risk. Knowing where your fish are caught is important, too; I'd much rather eat a clean farmed catfish from Texas than one from a polluted Vietnamese river (though in practice it is nearly impossible to tell the difference without markings). Less expensive fish are more likely to be what it says on the package; more expensive fish are more likely to be substituted (counterfeited). There are lots of resources online that can guide you to eat more sustainable and less toxic fish, and such fish are safe unless you have a particular sensitivity.

If you choose not to eat fish, pay special attention to the ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids in your diet. You may want to adjust the types of oils and fats from both plants and animals that you consume.

Mellor

It's not so much waste/chemicals/pollutants in the water but heavy metals in the atmosphere (from mines and volcanos, apparently) entering the water. They accumulate in fish, the same way they accumulate in us. So small bait fish have very little in them. The medium fish that eat the small fish have more. And large predators who eat the medium fish have the most. Which is why tuna, shark etc should be limited.

Mellor

It's not so much waste/chemicals/pollutants in the water but heavy metals in the atmosphere (from mines and volcanos, apparently) entering the water. They accumulate in fish, the same way they accumulate in us. So small bait fish have very little in them. The medium fish that eat the small fish have more. And large predators who eat the medium fish have the most. Which is why tuna, shark etc should be limited.

Victor

Some fish can be toxic, especially if not sourced, prepared or cooked properly, just like many other foods. Care should be taken with shellfish, especially by pregnant women.

Hanley

Everything's toxic. Even water. Just depends if you consume enough of it to have an effect.

Once you're not eating loads of them, it shouldn't be a problem.

...and if in the last month you've consumed things out of cardboards, or the freezer, or excessive alcohol etc, I'd humbly suggest a small bit of fish isn't gonna be what hurts ya

Hanley

Everything's toxic. Even water. Just depends if you consume enough of it to have an effect.

Once you're not eating loads of them, it shouldn't be a problem.

...and if in the last month you've consumed things out of cardboards, or the freezer, or excessive alcohol etc, I'd humbly suggest a small bit of fish isn't gonna be what hurts ya