Seafood A Safer Catch Than Many Think

But when the question was reversed—which fish had the lowest levels of mercury?—the responses were identical: tuna, salmon and shrimp.

“On one hand, we want pregnant women to eat fish, as there are plenty of benefits to the fetus in terms of cognitive development and other factors,” said university researcher Maureen Storey, “But on the other hand, there is confusion about the risks, so there are a lot of conflicting messages that have been misunderstood.”

For the record, the fish containing highest levels of mercury are large predatory fish, the most popularly eaten being shark, swordfish, and tilefish.

Storey was among various experts describing the escalating communication dilemma surrounding seafood that is posing a risk of its own—turning people away from one of the most nutritious foods.

“There may be some risk in consumption of fish, but there’s a bigger risk in not consuming fish at all,” Storey said.

That scenario is playing out in Indiana, where seafood intake is already lower than on the East and West Coasts, according to Charles Santerre, a food toxicology expert with IFT and professor at Purdue University.