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Paddlefish

Paddlefish

Paddlefish

At a glance

	Eco-rating	Mercury	Omega-3s
+-Paddlefish (farmed)	OK	Low
MORE ABOUT PADDLEFISH Paddlefish, or "spoonbills," are an ancient species of fish closely related to sturgeons. Native to the Mississippi River drainage basin, paddlefish historically ranged as far east as New York and as far west as Montana. Paddlefish populations have been greatly reduced due to overfishing and habitat loss; in some states the species no longer exists. Commercial Sources Paddlefish are only naturally found in the United States. They have been introduced to several other nations but are not exported back to the U.S. Capture Methods Filter-feeding paddlefish are not attracted to sportsfishermen's lures. Consequently, they must be caught using gillnets. Paddlefish are also farmed alongside catfish in many ponds in the Southeast. The small supply of paddlefish on the market is a mix of those two sources.
+-Paddlefish (wild)	Worst	Low
MORE ABOUT PADDLEFISH Paddlefish, or "spoonbills," are an ancient species of fish closely related to sturgeons. Native to the Mississippi River drainage basin, paddlefish historically ranged as far east as New York and as far west as Montana. Paddlefish populations have been greatly reduced due to overfishing and habitat loss; in some states the species no longer exists. Commercial Sources Paddlefish are only naturally found in the United States. They have been introduced to several other nations but are not exported back to the U.S. Capture Methods Filter-feeding paddlefish are not attracted to sportsfishermen's lures. Consequently, they must be caught using gillnets. Paddlefish are also farmed alongside catfish in many ponds in the Southeast. The small supply of paddlefish on the market is a mix of those two sources.

Recommended servings per month

	Contaminant	Men	Women	Kids 6-12	Kids 0-5
Paddlefish (farmed)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	4+
Paddlefish (wild)	Mercury	4+	4+	4+	4+

Eco details:

Wild paddlefish populations are significantly depleted in most areas.
Paddlefish farms are environmentally benign since they generally do not pollute water or require wild fish for feed.