In our eagerness to consume delicious seafood, it’s easy to get swept up in the rush to sample it all, treating the world’s waterways as an unlimited tasting menu. While this might satisfy our inner food connoisseurs, it has had a devastating effect on the populations of some species, pushing them toward the verge of depletion. One particular group of fish that is facing extreme danger includes marlins, spearfish, and sailfish, known collectively as billfish due to their bill-like protrusions of their upper jaws. Billfish numbers are now down 80% from their historic levels primarily due to commercial overfishing; additionally, because they are predatory fish, billfish can contain high levels of mercury, which can be harmful when consumed in large quantities.

The Take Marlin Off The Menu campaign has been organized to bring awareness to the problems facing the billfish. Created by the International Game Fish Association, National Coalition for Marine Conservation, and The Billfish Foundation, the campaign has now been joined by Wegmans supermarkets, some of which are in the area. The level of Wegmans’ committment? They’ve pulled all billfish from their stores. Many restaurants have also joined, though none in the Philly area yet.

Beyond billfish, several other types of fish are experiencing severe overfishing. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has national and region-specific cards that you can print and take along with you when you go shopping or out to eat so you can make more informed decisions when it comes time to choose between the tilapia and the orange roughy (definitely go with the tilapia!).