Grouper
Grouper may contain levels of mercury that pose a health risk to adults and children.
Grouper populations are almost universally in decline. It is estimated that the Nassau grouper population has sustained a decline of 60% over the last three generations (27-30 years). Red grouper population numbers have fluctuated over time, with peak abundance occurring during the 1940s or 1950s. Grouper are a long-lived and slow-growing fish that do not reproduce until later in life, making their recovery from overfishing a challenge. Dependent on gear type, there can be a number of non-target fish and other wildlife, like sea turtles, caught as bycatch when fishing for grouper.
Recommended alternatives to grouper:
• Pompano
• Wreckfish
• Atlantic mackerel
• Barramundi, U.S. farmed
• Black cod, Pacific U.S. (also known as sablefish)
• Cod, Pacific (not trawl-caught)
• Hogfish
• Salmon, U.S. wild-caught Alaska
• Snapper, Mangrove or Gray
• Tuna, Atlantic skipjack
• Tuna, Pacific Albacore
