The agency does advise pregnant women and those of childbearing age to eat shark and swordfish no more than once a month.

Most of the natives in Micronesia won't eat shark.

Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish, because these all contain high levels of mercury.

Have you eaten shark?

However, the U.S. FDA recommends that that children and women who are or may be pregnant should refrain from eating shark.

Seafood Watch recommends that everyone avoid eating shark.

The F.D.A.'s advisory warned pregnant women not to eat swordfish, king mackerel, shark and tilefish because of high levels of mercury contamination that could cause neurological defects or delays in mental development in their children.

Following that reasoning, why advise pregnant women not to eat tilefish or shark, which are consumed seldom, if at all?

That's why, in March 2001, the FDA recommended that pregnant women and women of childbearing age should not eat shark, mackerel, swordfish, or tilefish because of their too-high mercury content.

Avoid mercury in fish by limiting white (albacore) tuna to 6 ounces a week and by not eating tilefish, shark, swordfish, and king mackerel.