According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, salmon is one of the healthiest foods that we can eat. Due to its high omega 3 fatty acids, scientists say that it is good for the heart and may even help against rheumatoid arthritis and other illnesses. Because of its health benefits and its unique flavor, salmon has become the third most popular fish behind canned tuna and shrimp. Not only is it one of the healthiest and most popular fish available, but there is also no shortage of it. As of today Americans are eating three times as much salmon as they were just a few years ago; however, a controversy has arisen as new studies come into question about the standards established regarding farm-raised salmon.

The health benefits and overall taste of salmon put the fish in high demand when it was available in season. The seasonal effects of the fish brought about the idea of somehow farming them to allow people to consume salmon all year round, therein lowering the price and bringing the fish to mainstream consumption status. Many companies in the Netherlands and Norway have taken this idea to the bank, and salmon farming is now a $700 million a year bus

Farm-raised salmon is much easier to obtain than salmon in the wild and is four to five dollars per pound cheaper all year round in all parts of the country. The majority of salmon that we consume is not wild, it is raised in ocean water net pens. Fresh salmon, these days, does not mean that it has been caught by a fisherman. Fresh salmon now oftentimes means that the fish were raised in one of these salt water feed lots. The top locations for salmon farming are British Columbia and New Brunswick, Canada. In British Columbia, salmon farming is a big business, but it is not Pacific salmon like Socki and Coho that are making it to market on the west coast. The majority of fish raised in Pacific net pens are actually Atlantic salmon, which grow faster and survive crowded net pens better. According to Chef Karen Barnaby, the trained eye and pallet can tell a clear difference between farm-raised salmon and wild. Farmed salmon is grayer in color and tends to be more fattening. Wild salmon tends to have a healthier pinkish-red hue (due to its krill consumption) and feels more muscular. Salmon farmers, noticing their farmed salmon’s grayish hue, have begun feeding their fish additives to bring their color back closer to their wild brethren.

The average intake for Americans last year was roughly 4.1 pounds of filets and steaks from all fish species, salmon included. This comes to only 5 ounces a month, which is less than the EPA’s red-flag limit. The American Heart Association’s advice is to eat two fish meals a week, varying the type of fish, and you should not be putting yourself in any danger.

“Farmers can pick the color they want their fish to be from a Salmofan, something that resembles a collection of paint chi

Some topics in this essay:
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