Why Wild Alaskan Salmon is Best

Why Wild Alaskan Salmon is Best

If you have ever gone to buy fish at your local grocery store, or at the counter of a fishmonger, or even braved the smells of a fish market, you have probably seen just how many types of salmon there are. You have to pick from farm-raised, wild caught, Alaskan, Atlantic, Norwegian, and so much more. While there are pros and cons to all the different kinds, here are just a few reasons why in the choice of wild caught vs farm raised salmon, wild caught salmon is the way to go.

1. Alaskan Salmon Have Better Living Conditions

Wild Alaskan salmon are as expected, out in the wild. This means that the fish are free to roam around as they wish and eat what they want as long as it is available to them. This is in stark contrast to farm raised salmon that are raised in extremely crowded pens with other fish and very little room to swim around.

2. Alaskan Salmon Have Better Diets

Since Alaskan salmon are allowed to roam free and eat what they want, it means they are able to eat a diverse and nutrient rich diet. This diverse and natural diet makes wild caught salmon healthy eaters, making them very healthy and nutritious food for us eventually when we eat them.

Farm raised salmon on the other hand have a diet restricted to a less diverse, highly-processed, high fat fish feed. While their diet is still rich in Omega-3, their unnatural diet usually has negative effects on their nutritional composition. Some farms also add food dye to their food to make farm raised salmon look more wild.

3. Farm Raised are at Risk of Disease 

The closed in conditions of farm raised fish has shown to have increased risk of pollutants spreading disease throughout the fish population in the farm. While regulations are consistently being put in place to create better conditions for farm raised fish, not all parts of the world adhere to the same standards.

4. Alaska has Great Fishing Practices

One of the biggest concerns that comes with wild caught fish is overfishing. Fish consumption continues to grow, and to meet the growing demand, fishing companies have overfished populations. Alaska on the other hand implemented healthy fishing practices for their salmon populations. In fact, the early adoption of these practices has led some salmon populations to grow in the last few years. 

5. Their Fillets are Different

When you look at wild caught vs farm raised, you can immediately tell the difference between the two just from their color and patterning on the flesh. This is because the limited movement and limited diet of farm raised salmon makes them fatty and a lighter pink. On the other hand, the diverse diet and space to roam of wild salmon makes them leaner and darker. Alaskan salmon also contains high percentages of daily nutrients your body needs.

Wild Alaskan Salmon is Best

From their diet, to their living conditions, to their nutritional value, wild caught Alaskan salmon is incredible. So, the next time you find yourself debating on what salmon to get, remember that wild Alaskan salmon is not only great for the fish and the environment, but also for you.