2013 Culinary Chart of Alternatives

Use this guide to find ocean-friendly alternatives to seafood
on the Seafood Watch "Avoid" list.

Download a printable version of the Culinary Chart of Alternatives PDF


AVOID
BEST CHOICES
GOOD ALTERNATIVES
Caviar and Sturgeon* (Imported Wild-caught)

Caviar: Paddlefish (Wild-caught from U.S.)

 
Caviar (U.S. Farmed)

Sturgeon (U.S. Farmed)

Sturgeon: White (Wild-caught from OR and WA)
Chilean Seabass/Patagonian Toothfish*
Cobia (U.S. Farmed)

Sablefish/Black Cod/Butterfish (AK, Canadian Pacific)
Sablefish/Black Cod/Butterfish (CA, OR, WA)
Cod: Atlantic (Trawl-caught from Canadian and U.S. Atlantic)

Cod: Pacific (Imported)

Cod: Pacific (U.S. Bottom Longline, Jig and Trap)

Cod: Atlantic (Hook-and-Line from Iceland and Northeast Arctic)

Haddock (U.S. Atlantic Hook-and-Line)

Cod: Atlantic (Bottom Gillnet, Bottom Longline, Bottom Trawl and Danish Seine from Iceland and Northeast Arctic)

Cod: Atlantic (U.S. Gulf of Maine Hook-and-Line)

Cod: Pacific (U.S. Trawl)

Haddock (Iceland Atlantic and U.S. Atlantic Trawl)
Crab: King (Imported)
Crab: Blue (U.S. Chesapeake Bay Trotline)
Crab: Dungeness; Kona (Australia); Stone
Crab: Blue* (U.S., Pot); Dungeness (AK); Jonah; King (U.S.), Kona (HI); Snow (AK, Canada)
Crawfish/Crayfish (Imported Farmed)
Crawfish/Crayfish (U.S. Farmed)

Prawn: Spot (Canadian Pacific)
Prawn: Spot (Canadian Pacific)
Groupers (U.S. Atlantic*)

Grouper: Gag; Snowy; Warsaw; Yellowedge (U.S. Gulf of Mexico)*
Mahi Mahi (U.S. Atlantic Troll/Pole)

Striped Bass (U.S. Farmed and U.S. Atlantic Hook-and-line)
Black Sea Bass

Grouper (Hawaii)

Grouper: Black and Red (U.S. Gulf of Mexico)*

Mahi Mahi (Imported Troll/Pole and U.S.)

Striped Bass (U.S. Atlantic Gillnet and Pound Net)

Hake: White
Tilapia (Farmed in Ecuador and U.S.)
Hake: Offshore, Red and Silver

Tilapia (Farmed in China and Taiwan)
Halibut: Atlantic or California* (Set Gillnet)
Cobia (U.S. Farmed)

Halibut: Pacific (U.S.)

Tilapia (Farmed in Ecuador and U.S.)
Flounder, Sanddab, Sole (U.S. Pacific Wild-caught)

Flounder: Summer (U.S. Atlantic); Windowpane (U.S. Southern New England, Mid-Atlantic); Winter (U.S. Atlantic Bottom Trawl)

Halibut: California (U.S. Pacific Hook-and-Line and Bottom Trawl)

Plaice: American (U.S. Atlantic Bottom Trawl)

Turbot: Greenland*
Lobster: Caribbean Spiny (Brazil)
Lobster: California Spiny (CA)

Lobster: Caribbean Spiny (FL)

Lobster: Spiny (Baja California, Mexico)
Lobster: American/Maine (Trap-caught)

Lobster: Caribbean Spiny (Bahamas)
Mahi Mahi (Imported Longline)
Mahi Mahi (U.S. Atlantic Troll/Pole)
Mahi Mahi (Imported Troll/Pole and U.S.)
Marlin: Blue* or Striped* (Imported)
Swordfish (Harpoon and Handline-caught from Canada, U.S., North Atlantic and East Pacific)*
Marlin: Blue (HI)*

Swordfish (Drift Gillnet from CA)*

Swordfish (Longline from HI and U.S. Atlantic)*

Orange Roughy*
Halibut: Pacific (U.S.)

Tilapia (Farmed in Ecuador and U.S.)
Flounder, Sanddab, Sole (U.S. Pacific Wild-caught)

Halibut: California (U.S. Pacific Hook-and-Line and Bottom Trawl)

Summer Flounder (U.S. Atlantic Bottom Trawl)*

Tilapia (Farmed in China and Taiwan)

Turbot: Greenland*
Rockfish: Pacific (Trawl)
Halibut: Pacific (U.S.)

Rockfish: Black (Hook-and-Line from CA, OR, WA)

Sablefish/Black Cod/Butterfish (AK, Canadian Pacific)

Striped Bass (U.S. Farmed and U.S. Atlantic Hook-and-line)
Flounder, Sanddab, Sole (U.S. Pacific Wild-caught)

Halibut: California (U.S. Pacific Hook-and-Line and Bottom Trawl)

Rockfish (Pacific Hook-and-Line and Jig)

Sablefish/Black Cod/Butterfish (CA, OR, WA)

Striped Bass (U.S. Atlantic Gillnet and Pound Net)
Salmon (Farmed, including Atlantic)*
Arctic Char (Farmed in Recirculating Systems)

Salmon (AK Drift Gillnet, Purse Seine and Troll)

Salmon: Freshwater Coho (U.S. Farmed in Tank Systems)
Salmon (Drift Gillnet, Purse Seine and Troll from CA, OR, WA)

Salmon: Coho (Canadian Pacific Wild-caught)
Sharks* (Except Common Thresher and Shortfin Mako from California and Hawaii) and Spiny Dogfish* (Canadian Atlantic and U.S.)
Cobia (U.S. Farmed)

Halibut: Pacific (U.S.)
Dogfish: Spiny (British Columbia)*

Sharks: Common Thresher and Shortfin Mako (Wild-caught from CA and HI)

Sturgeon (U.S. Farmed)

Sturgeon: White (Wild-caught from OR and WA)
Shrimp (Imported Except Canadian Wild-Caught and Thailand from Fully Recirculating Farms)
Prawn: Spot (Canadian Pacific)

Shrimp (U.S. Farmed in Fully Recirculating Systems or Inland Ponds)

Shrimp: Pink (OR)
Prawn: Spot (U.S. Pacific)

Shrimp (Wild-caught from Canada and U.S.)

Shrimp (U.S. Farmed in Open Systems)

Shrimp (Thailand from Fully Recirculating Farms)
Snapper: Red or Vermilion (U.S.)
Tilapia (Farmed in Ecuador and U.S.)
Snapper: Gray; Lane*; Mutton*; Yellowtail (Wild-caught from U.S. Atlantic and U.S. Gulf of Mexico)

Snapper: Gray; Pink; Ruby (Wild-caught from HI)

Snapper: Silk (Wild-caught from U.S. Caribbean, U.S. Gulf of Mexico and U.S. South Atlantic)

Tilapia (Farmed in China and Taiwan)
Swordfish (Imported)*
Mahi Mahi (U.S. Atlantic Troll/Pole)

Swordfish (Harpoon and Handline from Canada, U.S., North Atlantic and East Pacific)*
Mahi Mahi (Imported Troll/Pole and U.S.)

Swordfish (Drift Gillnet from CA)*

Swordfish (Longline from HI and U.S. Atlantic)*
Tilefish: Blueline and Golden (U.S. Gulf of Mexico and U.S. South Atlantic)*
Mahi Mahi (U.S. Atlantic Troll/Pole)

Striped Bass (U.S. Farmed and U.S. Atlantic Hook-and-line)
Mahi Mahi (Imported Troll/Pole and U.S.)

Tilefish: Golden (U.S. Mid-Atlantic)*

Striped Bass (U.S. Atlantic Gillnet and Pound Net)
Tuna: Canned (All Except Troll/Pole)
Tuna: "White" Canned Albacore (Canadian and U.S. Pacific Troll/Pole)

Tuna: "Light" Canned Skipjack (Troll/Pole)
Tuna: "White" Canned Albacore (Troll/Pole Except Canadian and U.S. Pacific)
Tuna: Albacore (North Atlantic and All Longline Except HI)*

Tuna: Bigeye (All Longline Except U.S. Atlantic)*

Tuna: Blackfin (All Longline and Purse Seine)*

Tuna: Bluefin (Wild or Ranched)*

Tuna: Skipjack (Purse Seine and All Imported Longline)

Tuna: Tongol (All Gillnet and Purse Seine Except Malaysia)

Tuna: Yellowfin (All Purse Seine and Longline Except HI and U.S. Atlantic)*
Tuna: Albacore (Canadian and U.S. Pacific Troll/Pole)

Tuna: Bigeye (U.S. Atlantic Troll/Pole)

Tuna: Skipjack (Troll/Pole)

Tuna: Yellowfin (Pacific and U.S. Atlantic Troll/Pole)
Tuna: Albacore (HI Longline and South Atlantic Troll/Pole)*

Tuna: Bigeye (Troll/Pole and U.S. Atlantic Longline)

Tuna: Blackfin (Troll/Pole)*

Tuna: Skipjack (Longline from HI and U.S. Atlantic)

Tuna: Tongol (Troll/Pole or from Malaysia)

Tuna: Yellowfin (Troll/Pole Except Pacific and U.S. Atlantic)

Tuna: Yellowfin (Longline from HI and U.S. Atlantic)

* Consumption advisory due to mercury or other contaminants.
For more information, visit www.edf.org/seafoodhealth

Key

  • AK
  • Alaska
  • CA
  • California
  • FL
  • Florida
  • HI
  • Hawaii
  • OR
  • Oregon
  • WA
  • Washington
  • Mid-Atlantic
  • New York to North Carolina
  • Northeast
  • Connecticut to Maine
  • Southeast
  • South Carolina to Texas
  • /
  • A slash is used to separate different market names for the same fish.