Salmon Recipes

Ahhh, the great wild versus farmed salmon debate. Here in BC this is a touchy subject.  Either you’re with us or your against us. Good versus evil. Salmon killed in nets versus salmon reared in nets.

My personal opinion…

Wild fish taste better and the precautionary principle tells me that Atlantic salmon raised in nets in the Pacific isn’t a great idea.

Wild VS Farmed Salmon

The caveat; wild salmon stocks are not infinite and farmed fish, raised in a responsible fashion, makes sense.

Just keep them off the West Coast please!

With that in mind I’ll offer a few opinions and you can make you’re own call.

One of the strongest arguments against salmon farming is the biomass that is removed from the ocean to raise salmon:

Salmon, for example, are carnivores and are fed pellets made from other fish. Apart from the ecological and health concerns associated with salmon farming, farmed salmon actually represent a net loss of protein in the global food supply as it takes from two to five kilograms of wild fish to grow one kilogram of salmon. Highly nutritious fish like herring, mackerel, sardines, and anchovy are used to produce the feed for farmed salmon, which is essentially luxury fare for the North American, European, and Japanese markets.

From the salmon farmers website:

Scientific evidence can be found to support both points of view and it’s no surprise that the BCSFA and our member companies firmly believe that - done properly - salmon aquaculture is an environmentally sustainable industry in British Columbia. It is also important to say that most of the nearly 3000 men and women who work in the aquaculture industry in BC live in the communities that dot our coast. We care deeply about the environment and fully support the efforts of concerned citizens to ensure that wild BC salmon populations are protected.

Whichever product you support, understand that there is a trade off. 

My vote goes to wild salmon but I appreciate your feedback below!