Salmon

Family Salmonidae

 

Salmon is a common name given to many species of the Salmonidae Family living in the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. In the Atlantic, the Atlantic Salmon is the main species. The Pacific Ocean is home to the Sockeye, Chinook, Pink, Chum, Coho and Cherry.

 

Salmon are anadromous, meaning that they are born, and live for about 3 years in fresh water, while their bodies build the systems that they will need to live in salt water. They slowly make their way into brackish water, adjusting to the salinity, and then spend anywhere from 2-8 years in the open ocean before returning to fresh water to spawn. It is rumored that salmon return to spawn in the same place that they were born. Scientific data backs this up for the most part. In reality, about 90% of the fish return to the place of their birth. Scientists don’t fully understand how they have this instinct, however, they do believe that it is in part due to their keen sense of smell. Salmon will travel hundreds of miles and climb thousands of feet in elevation to go from the Ocean to their spawning grounds. Most species die within a few weeks after spawning, a phenomenon known as Semelparity.

 

Salmon live on a diet of aquatic and terrestrial insects, amphipods and crustaceans. Wild Salmon are particularly high in omega 3 fatty acids and protein. The bright orange color of the salmon is due to carotenoid pigments which occur naturally in the food that they eat (the same reason the flamingos are orange). In the wild they get this from eating krill and other shellfish. Coloring is added to the food given to farm raised salmon.

 

Aquaculture is a huge part of the salmon industry. It accounts for 1 Billion dollars annually in the United States alone. Countries that are the world-leaders in farm raised salmon include: Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Canada, Chile, Russia, Tasmania and Australia.

 

Wild caught salmon is superior to farm raised salmon. Farm raised salmon has recently gotten a lot of bad press, most of which is not true. Advancements in farming have made farm raised salmon almost as healthy as wild caught salmon. The major difference from a Chef’s point of view is that wild caught salmon has flesh that is much firmer than farm raised salmon. Farm raised salmon is also higher in dioxins like PCB, although, compared to other species of fish, it is still very safe.

 

One alternative to farm raising salmon is raising young salmon in hatcheries. After the fry become a certain size, they are released into the wild. This alternative is mainly used to keep the stocks of wild salmon high, and is often funded by national governments.

Gary's Source:  Wild Salmon, Alaska

 

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