A SAFETY NET FOR FISH There's a sea change in attitudes under way, with concern growing for the survival of some seafood species.

In dinner, as in life, we're now faced with a series of moral dilemmas. Most people want to do the right thing: consume fresh healthy foods without contributing to the Earth's woes or depriving a community of its economic resources.

As seafood has become a greater part of the American diet - so good for the brain, so many omega-3 fatty acids! - that means paying attention to the issues of overfishing, polluted waters, and mercury poisoning.

The sustainability tide, it seems, is turning. Chefs, cookbook authors, even restaurant chains like Long John Silver's are committing to improving the sustainability of the world's fish.

Greenpeace recently gave a passing grade to market chains including Target, Whole Foods, and Ahold USA for their environmentally sound seafood purchasing practices.

Amanda Brossard, a onetime biologist with the Department of Fish and Game in Alaska, and her husband, Alaska fisherman Murat Aritan, opened Otolith, a sustainable seafood store in Northern Liberties in July, translating their expertise into a business they believe in. Aritan still travels back to Alaska to fish a few months a year and eventually hopes to sell his catch at the store. At the moment, they are selling all Alaskan fish from other fishermen and small processors.

"We're seeing lots of customers coming into our store who just don't want to be part of the problem," says Brossard.

Restaurant diners have grown more vocal about their seafood choices and their impact on the environment. "Over the last couple of years, I've seen the demand grow among customers who are looking for sustainable fish," says Michael Stollenwerk, chef/owner of Little Fish in Queen Village, where all the seafood on the menu is sustainably sourced and most is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, a leading eco-labeling program for fish and shellfish in supermarkets and restaurants.

Yet even the best intentions are sometimes not enough to produce the right decisions. When it comes to tracking down sustainable seafood, it can be exceedingly difficult to navigate the swirl of information: What species of fish? Where does it come from? Line-caught or bottom-trawled? Wild or farmed? Trap-caught or aquaculture?

"We've all had our head in the sand for some time and there's a lot of confusion in the marketplace," says James MacKnight, owner of River & Glen, a sustainable foods purveyor based in Warminster, Bucks County.