FishWatch

Atlantic Salmon

Wild Atlantic salmon population levels are very low, due to a number of factors including habitat destruction, dams, and historic overfishing. The Gulf of Maine population is protected under the Endangered Species Act, and substantial efforts are ongoing to restore wild Atlantic salmon and its habitat.

Atlantic Salmon

FARMED

The farmed salmon industry, based in Maine and Washington, produces a small fraction of the salmon consumed in the United States (the majority of farmed salmon in stores and markets has been imported from Canada, Chile, or Europe). State and federal governments have developed regulations that ensure domestic salmon farms meet stringent environmental, fish health, and human food safety standards.

Chinook Salmon

Harvested from Alaska to California, Chinook, also known as king salmon, are the most highly prized salmon in the culinary world. They’re the largest Pacific salmon and have a pronounced buttery, rich taste.

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Chum Salmon

One of the lower-priced Pacific salmon in the market, chum salmon, also known as keta, is mainly harvested in Alaska fisheries. Chum salmon has a lower oil content than the other wild salmon, so it has a relatively mild flavor and a meaty, firm texture.

Coho Salmon

Coho, or silver, salmon are harvested commercially on both sides of the Pacific, from Alaska to Oregon and from Russia to Japan. Alaska fisheries supply the majority of mild-tasting salmon in the global market.

Pink Salmon

Found on both sides of the North Pacific, pink salmon are the most common Pacific salmon. They’re most abundant in Alaska, where they have been harvested and canned commercially since the late 1800s. Today, this lean, mild-flavored salmon accounts for almost half of the salmon harvested in Alaska’s fisheries.

Sockeye Salmon

Sockeye, or red salmon, is the most valuable U.S. salmon species. They’re prized for their orange-red, rich flavored meat as well as their roe, which is used to make salmon caviar. Nearly 100 percent of the sockeye salmon on the market in the United States comes from U.S. fisheries, operating primarily in Alaska.

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