Learn about Wild Salmon

Wild salmon lives in oceans and lakes, swimming and spawning freely. Wild salmon have received much publicity lately due to their declining numbers. Political, ecological, and environmental debates about how to deal with this problem make front page news stories.

Wild salmon are known to be healthier for consumption by humans than their farmed cousins. There are a variety of reasons for this: they contain less PCPs (contaminants) than other types of salmon. Slowly but surely, however, PCPs are seeping into the waters where wild salmon exist. Salmon absorb PCPs from contaminated sediments. Wild salmon are also known to contain less levels of mercury than other varieties of salmon.

Of particular concern is the fact that some salmon marked "wild" in the marketplace are really farm-raised. Ask your fish monger or fish department personnel where the salmon came from.

When you are buying canned salmon, check the label to know what you are actually getting. Often canned salmon is actually wild salmon. The label will tell you where the salmon was caught.

Healthy Wild salmon is known to be very high in omega-3, a fatty acid nutrient known for its tremendous health benefits. Wild salmon (like all salmon) is known as a “meaty fish.” People who enjoy the texture of beef will probably like salmon. It has a firm, dense texture. This holds particularly true when the wild salmon is prepared by grilling.