On Nutrition: Best fish catches

Barbara Intermill, Tribune News Service on Mar 6, 2026

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Reader Dianne K. writes: “Hello Barbara, I enjoy reading your column in the Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star. Now that Lent is here, I'm thinking about my choices of fish. Wild caught or farm-raised? I have read that fish that are farm-raised are fed with known carcinogens. What countries should be trusted? Which countries should be avoided? What types of fish are the best in nutrition?”

Thanks for these timely questions, Dianne. Unfortunately, the answers are not as simple as we might wish.

According to the Monterey Aquarium Seafood Watch Program (seafoodwatch.org), more than 3 billion people around the world rely on seafood for their nutrition as well as their livelihoods. And this number is growing. To meet these needs, millions of tons of wild-caught as well as farmed seafood are harvested every year.

Which method is safer? Interestingly, cancer-causing contaminants have been identified in both farmed and wild-caught fish samples. For example, heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium and chromium can occur naturally or in overly concentrated fish food.

The good news is that many fishermen and fish farmers now use methods that are safer and more sustainable than in the past. So, what you choose depends in large part on the type of fish you buy and where it originates.

For example, wild-caught salmon from U.S. waters (primarily Alaska) is a very good choice. Pink salmon is also wild-caught and is often found in canned salmon. Look for products caught in the United States — off the coast of Washington in the Pacific Ocean, for instance.

On the other side of the country, Atlantic salmon is almost entirely farm-raised. Best choices, according to Seafood Watch, come from the United States, Canada, Denmark and the Faroe Islands.

As far as nutrition, all fish species provide high-quality protein and a host of vitamins and minerals essential for health.

Remember the old adage that fish is "brain food”? That turns out to be true. Omega-3 fatty acids found most abundantly in dark-fleshed fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, trout and anchovies have been found to help blood and nutrients flow to the brain, which benefits memory, mood and learning.

Most health experts recommend we eat 2 to 3 servings of fish a week for optimal health. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, children and women who might become pregnant want to be cautious to choose fish that does not contain high amounts of mercury. Find the best choices, according to the Environmental Protection Agency at https://www.epa.gov/choose-fish-and-shellfish-wisely/epa-fda-advice-about-eating-fish-and-shellfish.

In addition, the Seafood Watch Program’s “Super Greens List” features fish species that get top marks for health and ocean-friendliness (https://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-basics/sustainable-healthy-fish). This list includes wild-caught albacore tuna, U.S. farmed catfish and striped bass, wild-caught Alaska flounder and sole, U.S farmed rainbow trout and steelhead, as well as farmed mussels, clams and oysters. Enjoy!