Seafood Nutrition, Safety, and Sustainability
Chapter 21. Fishy Matters: Wild-Caught, Farmed, and Health Considerations
This chapter examines fish and seafood through a nutrition ecology framework (health, environment, society, economy), exploring global fish consumption and its importance in nutrition, food security, sustainability, and development. It compares wild-caught fish with farmed (aquaculture), highlighting Atlantic salmon and shrimp, illustrating that overfishing and bycatch threaten ecosystems and biodiversity and have driven some species to near extinction. While aquaculture meets eaters’ demands and provides livelihoods, sustainability practices vary, analogous to terrestrial agriculture (e.g., water pollution, antibiotics, sea lice, and animal suffering). Seafood contamination from mercury and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and forever chemicals in the ocean can pose risks, but they are outweighed by health benefits, and omega-3s EPA and DHA are critical for pregnant women and children for optimal eye and brain development. A dietary pattern including fish can be part of a heart-healthy diet, especially when replacing red meat; sustainable seafood guides inform environmentally sound, eco-conscious choices.
Core Topics This Chapter Addresses
Guiding Questions
⮞ Who eats fish, and what are the nutritional benefits?
⮞ How and why are fish farmed (aquaculture), and what does it look like?
⮞ Is wild-caught seafood like salmon and shrimp superior to farmed?
⮞ What contaminants are found in seafood, and is it still safe to eat—even for pregnant women and children?
⮞ Will eating fish improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of a heart attack?
Seafood Science and Responsible Choices
Look below the surface for the truth about fish and seafood, and anchor sustainable seafood strategies in evidence for nutrition and food system courses and environmental features in media.