The Great Salmon Debate: Farm raised vs. Wild Caught

I wanted to take an opportunity to talk about the matter of farm raised vs. wild caught salmon (and fish farming in general). I believe the farms to be a rapidly growing concern. As a chef, I’m of the belief that the flavor of farm raised is generally lacking, mostly due to the minimal amount of exercise the fish receive in captivity. This hinders fattening and stunts the major yearly growth spurts the fish undergo in their 1-8 year life span. These fish travel over 1,000 miles in the wild to spawn, a feat that requires an amazing amount of energy, resulting in large fatty deposits within the muscle tissue. These fatty deposits give salmon its tasty marbling, making it an excellent source of Omega 3 and Vitamin D, among other things. Wild caught salmon has pinkish orange flesh in varying shades, owing to the carotenoid pigments, from a diet of krill and small crustaceans. To achieve the same hue, farm raised salmon are given supplements within their food to make up for this deficiency.   

There are several factors contributing to the decline of the wild species, some of which seem small in and of themselves. However, if we consider the number of issues arising from global warming, pollution, artificial changes in migratory patterns, the construction of dams, diseases, parasites, over fishing, and disappearing hatching grounds, then it becomes clear that something must be done. 

One of the most alarming and rapidly growing problems related to the fish farms is the transmission of sea lice, a deadly parasite to young, vulnerable salmon. These small, crustacean-like creatures attach themselves to fish and eat away at their flesh, causing lesions and damaging osmosis levels of the blood.  Since the fisheries’ primary goal is to make a profit, the fish are kept in extremely limited, manageable “quarters,” in contrast to their wild counterparts. This practice causes the water in surrounding areas to become a hotbed of bacteria, feces and hormones; where the toxicity levels can reach very alarming proportions.

The skyrocketing amounts of raw sewage in the water as a result of farming also bear consideration. Along with the lice, the contaminated water is such a problem that wild salmon passing within several hundred yards of the fish are compromised. Salmon swim upstream to protect the young, as they spend two entire years and four stages before reaching the “smolt” stage. At this time, their bodies adapt to the osmoregulation (the process of regulating the osmotic pressure of body fluids while maintaining homeostasis of the water content) of the ocean, where they will spend the majority of their life. 

The salmon’s skin is vulnerable; it’s at its thinnest and weakest. The scales can be rubbed off at this point with minimal effort by hand. It takes only eight sea lice to kill a full grown salmon, and even less for a smaller specimen. When you consider that only about 10 % of eggs laid ever even reach this point, the associated risk becomes clearer. These fish, once infected pose a serious threat to other wild fish. It is estimated that two million farmed fish escape and mix with the wild yearly. These fish generally make their way along the same basic migratory paths. At this point, they become a double threat, spreading the parasite to the wild schools before dying themselves.

The feed required to sustain the fisheries presents a unique problem as well, according to the UBC Fisheries Centre, “A staggering 37% of all global seafood is now ground into feed, up from 7.7% in 1948. Some goes to fish farms and some feeds pigs and poultry. Both are examples of what Francis Moore Lappe called “reverse protein factories,” where the resources far outweigh the product.” A salmon requires about 4-8 lb. of wild caught fish to raise 1 lb. of salmon.  Consider then that our planets oceans are reporting a 70% net loss of species either fully exploited or reporting dramatic drops in school populations.

There are many factors working against the fish, seemingly larger and harder to control. However, I believe that we have a responsibility to step in and do something about the factors we can control. While it is delicious, we have a responsibility to our planet to protect as many species as we can.We must weigh the consequences of our desires against the consequences, which seem to be getting harder and harder for people to ignore.

 I would like to state that I do not consider myself an animal/fish rights activist.I fully support the (proper) raising of foie gras and in some cases veal.I am, fist and foremost a chef. However, I would say that I have a very deep sense of respect and a sense of obligation to protect the things that cannot protect themselves, and to see to it that the wild blue yonder I knew as child will be there for my offspring and yours to enjoy someday.While it won’t happen until it is too late, I feel that the only solution is to impose strict regulation, if not outlaw, fish farming. We should take steps now, to ensure the health and longevity of the salmon population, before it becomes too late.

Salmon Facts

The salmon life cycle:

Egg---Alevin---Fry---Parr---Smolt---Adult---Spawning Adult---After spawning the fish will die within several hours to a weeks time.

You can count the rings in the flesh like on a tree to determine its age

You can find the caviar or  roe (eggs) in some specialty markets

White Salmon is extremely rare and cannot be farm-raised. Buyers beware.

The Salmon is a carnivorous fish.