by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: July 22, 2009

Fish is just about the healthiest protein we can eat. Depending on the type of fish one gets, it may be high in everything from calcium and vitamin D to Omega-3 fatty acids. At different times of the year, specialty stores, grocery stores and fish mongers will carry different types of fish. Experienced fish eaters know what to look for when setting out to buy fresh fish, but many people are not familiar with all of the ins and outs to buying fresh fish.

Here are some things to look for when considering what type of fresh fish to buy.

*WHEN THE FISH ARRIVED AT THE STORE -

This is the most important thing that one will need to know. It will determine the freshness of the fish. Some types of fish are not good when they have been sitting in the cooler for days. Wild salmon is a perfect example of that. The color of fish that has been sitting in the cooler for several days will be darker than that of fish that has just arrived that day.

*WAS IT FROZEN -

Sometimes fish is frozen in order to keep it in transport. The trouble with this is that fish will be thawed and refrozen many times. That makes it easy for bacteria to grow and it may not be all that safe to eat.

*WHERE THE FISH WAS CAUGHT -

Where fish is caught is very important. In many places, there has been so much over fishing that it is no longer legal to fish for wild fish. This is the situation with Alaskan salmon. Consequently, any Alaskan salmon that one purchases is farm raised salmon, and there is a lot of question as to the safety of farm raised fish because the water is constantly contaminated.

*MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL -

The Marine Stewardship Council keeps an up to date listing of all fish that is safe to eat and that is fished in eco-friendly, sustainable and ethical ways. It also lists different brand names that are approved and the brand names are broken down according to store. Anyone can look up items that are regularly part of their preferred store's inventory.

*PAY ATTENTION TO MERCURY LEVELS -

Pay attention to Mercury levels. Some fish have high enough concentrations to make it inadvisable for children, senior citizens, people with serious health issues or pregnant and nursing women to eat.

*LEARN ABOUT SEASONAL FISH -

There are some types of fish that are only in season at certain times of the year. If you see these types of fish for sale out of season, that should be a major concern. It is either being sold illegally, or what is being sold is fish that was frozen, and there

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