Do you know what kind of fish you eat?

Food shelves and fish shops are full of different kinds of fish from different parts of the world. Every day we can hear how healthy fish are and that we have to eat them two times a week, for they contain Omega 3 fatty acids. But are fish really as healthy as we think?

It is true that fish are healthy and that they contain easily digestible proteins, vitamins and minerals, and Omega 3 fatty acids. However, we need to know that it is not as simple as that.
On average people don’t eat a lot of fish. Is the reason in the low-quality selection, high price or in our lack of knowledge on the advantages of fish meat? Could the reason lay in the fear that eating fish from polluted seas is not healthy?

Sea pollution

Sea pollution is the key problem, which we wanted to investigate in greater detail. Besides essential nutrients, fish also contain ingredients that are dangerous to our health, or can even be poisonous. Because they often live in natural environments that are also polluted, they contain heavy metals. The content of the heavy metals in a fish depends on the type of the fish, age, its weight and especially on the geographical location of the catch. One of the general criteria is also that fish which are at the top of the food chain and eat other big fish (for example: shark, tuna), accumulate more heavy metals. The more fat a fish contains, the more heavy metals you can find. Because of that, it is advisable that with bigger and fatter fish you remove the skin and the fat before eating. 

Labelling

In accordance with the current regulations the label must be showing the trade name of the species of fish (eg: sea bass, salmon, grouper), the production method (caught at sea, caught in inland waters, farmed) and the fishing zone, in which it was caught (for farmed fish this means the country where they underwent their last developmental stage of cultivation).

Fishing and radioactive areas

When it comes to "wild" fish, the fishing area where they were caught has to be stated (for farmed fish the country of their breeding). The fishing area is labelled under the international classification (FAO + the corresponding number).
As we mentioned before, the quality of fish depends on the geographical location of where the fish was caught. At this point we will touch upon the issue of fishing on locations that are radioactive. The catastrophe in the power plant in Fukushima in Japan happened four years ago. Many have already forgotten that the catastrophe ever happened, but believe us, we can still feel the consequences of it. The radioactive pollution from Fukushima has an incredible influence on the ocean. More than 300 tons of polluted water flows into the sea every day, and from there it expands all the way to the north and the west coast of the American continent. The local fish from Fukushima show high level of radiation, and the Japanese government has forbidden to catch fish there for the purpose of food.
If you look at a can of tuna or a packaging of salmon you will notice the information which will tell you where the fish was caught. This is very important information, because now you will be able to know if the fish was caught in the area of radiation.  Remember, fish that were caught in the areas: FAO 61, 67, 71, 77 and 87 are from radioactive areas and are labelled with red colour!

FAO 21 = Northwest Atlantic
FAO 27 = Northeast Atlantic
FAO 27. III d = The Baltic Sea
FAO 31 = Central-western Atlantic
FAO 34 = Central-Eastern Atlantic
FAO 37.1, 37.2 in 37.3 = Mediterranean Sea
FAO 37.2.1 = the northern part of the Adriatic Sea (fishing area of Slovenian fishermen)
FAO 37.4 = The Black Sea
FAO = 41 Southwest Atlantic
FAO 51 and 57 = Indian Ocean
FAO 61, 67, 71, 77, 81 and 87 = Pacific Ocean
FAO 48, 58, 88 = Antarctica


You may wonder if the consummation of fish is still safe. Judging by the fact that the quality of fish is questionable, and that we rarely get the sufficient amount of healthy Omega 3 fatty acids, even the doctors and the scientific researchers advise that additional intake of Omega 3 in the form of dietary supplements is highly needed.

 
Sources:
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/science-matters/2013/10/despite-fukushima-scientists-say-eating-west-coast-fish-is-safe
http://veskajjes.si/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1129:morske-ribe-v-prehrani&catid=35:zdravo-prehranjevanje&Itemid=25
http://radioactivechat.blogspot.com/2013/10/Food-Label-Will-Tell-You-If-You-Are-Eating-Fuku-Radiation-FAO-Major-Fishing-Areas.html

Author: Tina Kamenšak

Category: Tips

Published: 05.10.2015 10:45