Orange roughy...is it really that bad?

I love orange roughy. I m not informed on it being bad, but i do know that it is packed full of Omega 3s which are super good for you and cholesterol. I m curious now though if it is bad...

The reason it's trying to be "banned" is because they're in danger of being extinct. The amount of consumption has risen so drastically and the population can't keep up. The fish itself isn't bad for you, people are just trying to save the orange roughy pop

Basically...

Why is Orange Roughy so vulnerable?
This fish is a slow grower. It lives for a long time – sometimes to as old as 130 years - and does not start reproducing until it is 30 years old. The low reproduction combined with the species’ tendency to cluster makes it very vulnerable to overfishing. In addition, because Orange Roughy are caught by the extremely destructive method of bottom-trawling, it’s not just this species that suffer but there is a much wider damaging effect on the ocean.

Orange Roughy used to be called Slimehead. With such an ugly name, there was a PR problem for those trying to sell the fish. A name change later, the fish became a hit. Sadly, its popularity has been its downfall.

So Orange Roughy is a bad choice for supper in every way imaginable.

OK, who is eating Orange Roughy?
Why would anybody eat this fish – or any other fish that is in so much trouble? You can’t but wonder. The culprits are:
– People who do not care about the state of the species or of the oceans (I’ll be dead in fifty years so the extinction of a species is irrelevant to my life)
– People who don’t know that Orange Roughy – and other threatened species – are in trouble

Hopefully, the “don’t-knows” make up the bulk of the consumers. They can usually be relied upon to use their free will and good judgement – as consumers and as shoppers. Sustainable Seafood Guides recommend the alternative of Tilapia and Halibut IF we must eat this fish (check with the guide pertaining to where you live). Where the “don’t cares” are concerned, the solution can only come through legislation, fisheries policies and control of the supply. But really, there are no excuses for consumers, restaurants, retailers and policy-makers.

I don't believe that it is said to be bad for you, I believe the argument is that it has been over-fished. Similar to cod in Canada. So it is more of an ethical/moral decision.

Actually Orange roughy is one of the few fish that I found I liked - probably because it doesn't taste "fishy"!

I think your post is confusing - do you mean the conservation of the fish, because it seems like people are taking it to mean the fish itself is bad. Orange roughy is on (very long) list of fish that is being overfished, hence the population is in decline. Roughies have a long life span and their mating is not the same as some other fish, hence as the rate of Roughy caught has risen, the population has drastically dwindled. Roughy are also caught using trawling - a method that damages ecosystems in the ocean. THAT is why there have been conservation efforts made and why there are discussions about banning the harvesting of Roughies, at least temporarily to allow for an increase in population.

Edit: Roughies are likely high in mercury precisely because of their long lifespans. The longer a fish lives, the more time it has to absorb mercury.

from understanding other fishing practices, and as with anything else, it will eventually be raised in farms. if it is high demand and they natural population cant keep up, the market will make it keep up. If you put stuff on menus, people will keep them from going extinct.