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Last week, I wrote about the dire state of the world's oceans, reviewing three books that shed light on this controversial subject.

Today, I am going to talk about how we, as consumers, can make the right choice at the fish counter to ensure future generations won't equate wild fish with the dinosaurs.

If you are interested in lessening your ecological footprint on the ocean floor, a visit to SeaChoice.org is a good starting point. This Vancouver-based organization is dedicated sustainable seafood and encourages us to "vote with our wallets" at both supermarkets and restaurants.

To learn what you should and should not eat, and download SeaChoice's Seafood Guide, which can be printed in a handy wallet-sized format. The number of popular seafood choices that are red-listed as those to "avoid" is staggering.

While most of us know that Chilean sea bass and Atlantic cod are verboten, the list includes farmed salmon and shrimp, king crab, flounder, Pacific snapper, Atlantic halibut, monkfish and many kinds of canned tuna.

Before you start panicking, there is still plenty of seafood that is green-listed as fished or farmed in a sustainable manner, earning a "best choice" stamp of approval. The list includes rainbow trout, tilapia, Dungeness crab, farmed mussels and clams, sablefish and most species of tuna caught by troll. One surprise on the green list is swordfish caught by harpoon off the Atlantic coast of Canada.

There is a third, yellow list of oceans creatures, where there are "some concerns" about how they are caught and/or the state of their stocks.

An added bonus on the Seafood Guide, especially for pregnant women, are warning symbols beside fish that could contain harmful levels of mercury, PCBs and other toxins.

But before you blindly follow the Seafood Guide, go onto SeaChoice's website for more detailed explanations on why it's best to avoid certain fish. Learning about the destruction of mangroves and egregious pollution behind Asian shrimp farms will make it a lot easier to pass on that bag of cheap frozen shrimp the next time you are at the supermarket.

It can be hard to forgo certain foods, especially on the preachy advice of environmentalists. And whether it's sushi or fish and chips, it's tough to give up dishes that have become an ingrained part of our various food cultures. But with a growing population and shrinking fish stocks, we have to adapt and be more flexible to ensure a healthy planet for all creatures. Sushi doesn't have to mean bluefin tuna and snapper, and fish and chips can be made with tilapia or Pacific halibut instead of cod.

For me, the decision to phase out endangered fish was easy. In 40 years, I don't want to have to tell my grandkids about the ones that got away.