Low Mercury Fish in Pakistan: Which Fish Are Safe to Eat Often?

Fish is a healthy part of the diet, but some fish carry more mercury than others. That matters most for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and young children. If you are looking for low mercury fish in Pakistan, we could not find an official Pakistani chart for local fish, so this guide uses the US FDA and EPA advice, the most widely used reference, and shows how to apply it to the fish in our markets. It is general information, not medical advice, so please check with your doctor, especially during pregnancy.

Low Mercury Fish in Pakistan: The Short Answer

As a rule of thumb, mercury builds up in large, long lived fish that eat other fish. Small fish that feed low on the food chain usually carry less. The FDA and EPA sort fish into three groups: Best Choices, Good Choices and Choices to Avoid. Sardines, anchovies, cod, pollock, tilapia, catfish and shrimp are Best Choices. Spanish mackerel, snapper and grouper are Good Choices. King mackerel, shark and swordfish are on the avoid list.

Two cautions apply. First, the FDA's measurements come from fish tested in the US, so they are a guide for Pakistani fish, not a guarantee. A 2021 review of heavy metals in fish from the Karachi coast included mercury among ten metals studied, but its abstract does not give mercury levels by species. Second, many popular Pakistani fish, such as pomfret and Rawas, are not on the FDA chart, so we do not assign them a category.

Safe fish to eat during pregnancy in Pakistan: the FDA and EPA advice for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding is 2 to 3 servings a week of Best Choices fish, or 1 serving of Good Choices fish, and none from the avoid list. Please ask your doctor what suits you.

Mercury Levels in Common Fish: What the FDA Data Show

The table shows average mercury levels in parts per million (ppm) from the FDA's mercury table. Lower is better.

Some mackerel figures come from older US reports, so treat them as a rough guide.

Lower mercury fish for regular meals

Small, fast growing fish are the safest bet for regular meals. Sardines and anchovies have the lowest averages of the fish tested. Tarli is a sardine and is likely to be similarly low, although the FDA did not test Pakistani Sardinella specifically. Shrimp, crab, lobster and freshwater trout are also on the FDA's Best Choices list. Our guide to the best kinds of fish to eat in Pakistan can help you plan meals around them.

Healthiest white fish to eat

"Healthiest" depends on your needs, so we focus on mercury. Cod, pollock, haddock, hake, tilapia, catfish, flounder and sole are all Best Choices. The FDA also notes that fish provides omega 3 fats, iron, iodine and choline, and links eating fish to heart health. Local names and availability vary, so ask your fishmonger exactly which fish you are buying.

High Mercury Fish and King Fish (Surmai): What to Limit

Is surmai high in mercury?

Surmai is usually sold in English as kingfish or seerfish, and it is generally identified as narrow barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson). That is not the "king mackerel" on the FDA avoid list, which is a different species, and the FDA table does not include surmai. So we cannot give you a verified mercury figure for king fish mercury in Pakistan.

What we can say is this. Spanish mackerel is a Good Choice, which means one serving a week in pregnancy, while king mackerel is to be avoided. Surmai is a large predatory fish. A cautious approach is to eat it occasionally rather than regularly, and to ask your doctor before eating it during pregnancy.

People also ask about king fish benefits. Like other fish, it provides protein and, in general, the nutrients the FDA lists for fish. We have not quoted specific nutrient values for surmai because we could not verify them.

High mercury fish to avoid

The FDA lists seven fish with the highest mercury levels: king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico and bigeye tuna. If a seller cannot tell you what species a fish is, choose a fish you can identify. For popular fish that are not on the chart, such as pomfret, you can read our pomfret fish in Pakistan guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which fish have the least mercury?

Among the fish tested by the FDA, sardines, tilapia, anchovies, salmon, catfish and pollock have some of the lowest averages, all under 0.05 ppm. Small, short lived fish that feed low on the food chain tend to carry less mercury than large predatory fish.

2. Is surmai (king fish) high in mercury?

Surmai is not on the FDA mercury table, so there is no verified figure for it. It is generally identified as narrow barred Spanish mackerel, a large predatory fish. The related king mackerel is on the FDA avoid list and Spanish mackerel is a Good Choice, so it is best treated as a fish to limit, especially in pregnancy. Ask your doctor for personal advice.

3. Is it safe to eat fish during pregnancy in Pakistan?

Fish can be part of a healthy diet in pregnancy. The FDA and EPA advise 2 to 3 servings a week of Best Choices fish or 1 serving of Good Choices fish, and say to avoid king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, Gulf of Mexico tilefish and bigeye tuna. A serving is about 4 ounces, roughly the size of your palm. Ask your doctor for advice for your own situation.

4. How often can I eat fish each week?

For people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, the FDA and EPA advise 2 to 3 servings a week of Best Choices fish or 1 serving of Good Choices fish. For children the advice is 2 servings a week of Best Choices fish, in smaller portions by age. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest at least 8 ounces of seafood a week for adults on a 2,000 calorie diet. Ask your doctor if you have a health condition.

5. Is sardine (tarli) low in mercury?

Yes. Sardines are in the FDA's Best Choices group, with an average of about 0.013 ppm in FDA samples. Tarli is a sardine, and sardines are small, short lived fish, so it is likely to be similarly low, although the FDA did not test Pakistani Sardinella specifically.

Conclusion

Choosing low mercury fish in Pakistan comes down to a simple habit: favour small fish and the Best Choices list, limit large predators such as surmai, and skip the high mercury fish altogether. Because Pakistani mercury data for local fish is limited, treat the FDA and EPA advice as a careful guide and talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or feeding young children. If you would like ideas for what to cook, you can explore the guides on Pakistan National Fish, or contact us with a question.