EcoChoices: Wild Caught or Farm-Raised Salmon?

One dilemma with fish is whether to eat farm-raised or wild. Farm-raised are supposedly less healthy while wild fish might be overfished. So which is a more sustainable choice: buying wild or farm-raised salmon? 

Farmed salmon are raised in a cold body of water in pens or nets that contain all their waste. They contain mercury and have to be artificially colored to appear pink.  Furthermore, they contain Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCBs). PCBs can accumulate in the tissue of living organisms and are a carcinogen. They can also damage reproductive, endocrine, and immune systems.

According to healthcastle.com, farmed salmon have 16 times as many PCBs as wild salmon. This is due to the fact that the fishmeal farmed salmon eat contains PCBs. Moreover, the fish are very susceptible to infectious disease since they are kept in such close quarters. The David Suzuki Foundation notes that antibiotics are given to farmed salmon to protect them from disease. The antibiotics will enter the environment and harm other aquatic species.  Salmon farms can also unintentionally kill aquatic species that get caught in the farm’s net.  This is known as by-catch and it kills thousands of seals and sea lions each year.  Additionally, farmed salmon are of a rather weak genetic stock. If they escape and breed with wild salmon, they will be passing on their weak genes. 

What about wild salmon?  Wild salmon contain more heart-healthy omega-3s and less PCBs than farm raised salmon. According to Clark County, Washington wild salmon species are declining in number in Washington State. Some species of wild salmon are even endangered due to electricity-generating dams in their natural habitats. Salmon get caught and killed in the dams. A few Alaskan salmon species are declining in number but they are not overfished—Alaskan salmon is wild by definition.  Wild salmon eat small fish, not fishmeal and are much healthier than farm raised salmon.

So which salmon should you eat? Atlantic salmon should absolutely be avoided since it is farm raised and endangered. Wild salmon is the better choice with regards to the environment and human health. Alaskan salmon is the best option when it comes to wild salmon. 

For advice on salmon and other seafood I recommend Seafood Watch.  It tells you which seafood to eat and which to avoid.  The guide is available in pocket size and as an app.  Also, to minimalize PCB intake for both wild and farmed salmon, trim all visible fat and skin and cook the salmon by broiling or grilling it.  Enjoy!