Why do we encourage chefs and retailers to sell farmed salmon as well as wild salmon?
1. Salmon is good for you. Researchers estimate that consuming 1-2 servings of salmon per week can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 36%. Following this advice would save the lives of about 20,000 Americans every year.
2. Farmed salmon have the same low level of mercury as their wild counterparts. Researchers studying toxins in salmon state explicitly: “…our preliminary study showed no significant difference in methylmercury levels between farmed and wild salmon.” 1
“The best choice for pregnant women is farmed or wild salmon. These fish are high in healthy nutrients and low in pollutants. Farmed salmon is more affordable and available year round. The concerns over PCBs in farmed salmon have been evaluated by experts and found to be insignificant compared to the health benefits.”
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Dr. Charles Santerre
Professor of Food Toxicology and Nutrition, Purdue University
3. There are no wild Atlantic salmon left. The major Atlantic salmon fisheries are closed and the species is effectively commercially extinct. We don’t want the Pacific salmon species to disappear as well, and one of the best ways to save them is to continue to have farmed salmon in the market to keep up with demand.
4. The use of fish meal and fish oil in salmon farming was overestimated in past scientific papers. A growing number of environmental NGOs now recognize that early estimates of fish meal and fish oil use in salmon feeds are not accurate. Ratios of wild fish use in salmon farming have been corrected from 5.0 to 1.68 using the more accurate calculations by the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organization (IFFO). Furthermore, the use of plant proteins and fillet trimmings in fish feeds are making salmon farming increasingly more efficient.
5. Salmon is just one of many good farmed choices. Tilapia, catfish, Arctic char and trout are others that consumers should feel good about eating. Farmed oysters, mussels, clams, and scallops are always a good choice, since they clean the water of small particulates.
6. Farming fish is the future of seafood. At dinner, no other ingredient would be subject to the question, “is it farmed?” Food quality and safety can’t always be controlled when harvesting wild foods, but they can be controlled in farming, including fish farming.
[1] Ronald A. Hites et al., “Global Assessment of Organic Contaminants in Farmed Salmon,” Science 303, no. 5655 (January 9, 2004): 226-229.
[2] Dariush Mozaffarian and Eric B. Rimm, “Fish Intake, Contaminants, and Human Health: Evaluating the Risks and the Benefits,” JAMA 296, no. 15 (October 18, 2006): 1885-1899.
