Costco Copper River Salmon - wild? farmed? [moved from General Chowhounding Topics]

[macrogal]

I love it so - but I'm trying to cut farmed fish from my diet. Anyone know if the copper river salmon sold at Costco this time of year is wild-caught or farmed?

[OrganicGal]

Before cutting all farmed fish out of your diet, you may want to do some research on fish farming techniques and potential concerns. Some fish can actually be farmed sustainablly, healthily, with minimal environmental impact, and may actually be safer than their wild counterparts. US Farm Raised catfish comes to mind. I regularly use the Monterrey Bay Aquarium website for their recommendations regarding my fish choices.

[mojoeater]

Shrimp is another where the farming is more ecologically sound than boating. The trawlers literally drag their nets along the surface and bottom of the sea to collect shrimp. They often destroy plants, reefs, and other wildlife in the process.

[ccbweb]

Mussles work similarly in terms of being sustainably farmed.

[russkar]

The Superior KING CRS is not available at Costco ever! *(at least not in the last several years) They only have the Sockeye which is average at best. Expect to pay around 30- a lb or more, for King CRS which is fantastic!
Farmed Atlantic Salmon is definitely not worth the effort but Scottish "farmed" Salmon is quite different in the techniques used and the quality.
I wouldn't assume that "farmed fish" is all bad. There is a lot to say for not having "Wild Fish" that's exposed to all types of Toxins and Parasites which "farmed" isn't.

[djohnson22]

Definitely a good point on farmed Salmon from Scotland. It is very good quality, not overly oily, and with nice firmness - particularly when looking at the "organically raised". The UK's organic standards are probably the strictest in the world so about the only fresh (never frozen) salmon that I will eat raw.

[ziggylu]

Yep wild.

I grilled some of the costco CR sockeye last night. We're in AZ but it was fresh and delicious!

[Cathy]

Also, at least in California, fresh salmon has to be labeled if color has been added- thereby showing it was farmed and not wild.

[RGC1982]

You can't farm Copper River Salmon. It is wild caught and only available six weeks out of the year because that is when enough ice melts to get up there and catch salmon. If it was farmed, it would be fraud.