I feel the need to follow up on this post, which is over two months old. It discusses reports by public health experts that the health benefits of eating fish greatly outweigh the risks. So, guess what has been all over the health news this week? Reports that the health benefits of eating fish greatly outweigh the risks! The reports are based on two new comprehensive reviews of the health effects of seafood consumption.

While I have no problem with eating fish for health reasons, I still have doubts about the long term health effects of toxics which can accumulate in fish tissues. My main concern, however, is that increased seafood consumption could result in increased seafood harvest, impacting our delicate and threatened marine ecosystems in yet unknown ways. There are many initiatives underway to educate consumers on environmentally sound seafood choices. What we really need is a comprehensive assessment of which seafoods are safest for human consumption while also having minimal environmental impacts (efforts are underway, such as this one, which lists the Dungeness crab as the safest seafood). Until we know what is best for our health and the environment, I’m sticking to tofu. At least soybeans can’t blink at you. Well, not yet. Monsanto may be working on it.