Our mission
We want every person who buys, catches, or cooks fish to know how much is safe for them. We want that answer to take seconds, not an hour of reading.
Fish is one of the best foods you can eat. It gives you protein, omega-3 fats, and vitamin D. Some fish also carry mercury, and the right amount depends on who is eating. We built one tool that does that math for you.
Why we built this
Many people catch or buy fish and wonder how much is too much. Agency tables help, but they ask you to do math in your head. Different charts use different serving sizes. Many skip body weight, even though weight changes the answer a lot.
A parent should not need a spreadsheet to plan a fish dinner. An angler should not need a lab degree to read a state advisory. So we turned the same public data into a calculator. You enter your weight, your serving, and your fish. You get a number you can use.
How the numbers work
The tool uses the EPA reference dose for methylmercury. That dose is 0.1 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per day. EPA built it with a tenfold safety margin. The calculator multiplies it by your weight and by seven days to get your weekly limit.
It then finds how much mercury is in one serving. It multiplies the serving size in grams by the fish's average mercury level in parts per million. Dividing your weekly limit by that amount gives your servings per week. You can see a worked example on the calculator page.
Our data sources
Average mercury levels in commercial fish and shellfish, from samples taken between 1990 and 2012.
The 2001 methylmercury safety dose that sets your weekly limit.
Serving sizes for children and the Best, Good, and Avoid fish groups.
We rely on primary sources first. These include the FDA, the EPA, state health departments, and peer-reviewed studies. When a source and a rule of thumb disagree, we follow the source.
What the tool does not cover
The calculator measures methylmercury and nothing else. It does not score PCBs, dioxins, or PFAS, which can matter for fish from some lakes and rivers. It also leaves out allergies, sodium, and food safety for raw fish.
Every number is an average. One large fish can test higher, and one small fish can test lower. If your state advisory is stricter than the calculator, follow the advisory.
How we work
- Plain language. We write in short, clear US English at a middle-school reading level. Anyone should be able to use the advice.
- Facts and opinion stay apart. Claims with numbers name a source. We label opinions as opinions.
- Regular reviews. We review the tool and its data twice a year. We also review them when the FDA or EPA publish new advice.
- Fast corrections. If we make a mistake, we fix it quickly. Readers can report errors on the contact page.
- Independence. Advertisers and partners cannot change our advice or our calculator results. If sponsored content ever appears, we will label it clearly.
Our promise
No fees, no paywall, and no sign-up.
Your weight and meal size stay in your browser.
We do not sell medical advice, and we say so on every page.
Who we are
We are a small independent team of anglers, writers, and web developers. We fish, we cook what we catch, and we read the research before we publish. We built this tool for our own families first. Then we made it free for everyone else.
A note on health. This site is educational. It does not replace advice from a doctor, a dietitian, or your state fish advisory. Always ask a professional when you are pregnant, nursing, or feeding a young child.
About us FAQ
Who runs the Fish Consumption Calculator?
A small independent team of anglers, writers, and web developers. We fish, we cook what we catch, and we read the research before we publish.
Is the calculator medical advice?
No. It gives an estimate based on public FDA and EPA data. A doctor, a dietitian, or your state fish advisory should come first, especially during pregnancy or when you feed young children.
How often do you review the data?
We review the tool and its numbers twice a year. We also review them whenever the FDA or EPA publish new advice.
How do I report a wrong number?
Use the contact page. Send the fish, the value you think is correct, and a link to the source. We check every report and fix confirmed errors fast.