Wild vs. Farmed? It's not as simple as we thought.

I was in the restaurant industry for years as a server, and if you work in fine-dining (or, for that matter, any restaurant in the Pacific Northwest), at some point, someone will ask, "Is your salmon wild or farmed?" Ten years ago, most restauranteurs had an easy answer. Wild-caught, of course. Always. Do you even have to ask?

Public opinion of fish farms is generally poor, especially among progressives, for multiple and not wholly unfounded reasons: Fish are raised in crowded conditions that lead to the spread of parasites and disease, which can then infect wild fish populations; the waste from fish farms pollutes surrounding waters with nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to oxygen-depleting algal blooms; and the industry has long been accused of using genetic modification to create fast-growing fish or change the color of the fish's flesh, which diminishes supplier/consumer trust.

But perceptions are starting to shift. When dwindling populations of wild salmon compete with a growing market demand, the truth is: We can't afford not to eat farmed.

In the book Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood, author Taras Grescoe explains how overfishing, pollution, climate change, and irresponsible aquaculture are pushing top-of-the-food-chain fish toward extinction. But Grescoe doesn't argue in favor of farming as an alternative. To him, both industrial fishing and farming methods are inherently destructive, with bottom trawlers scraping the ocean floor clean, and farmed salmon requiring vast quantities of smaller wild fish for feed.

Instead, Grescoe advocates for a fundamental shift in our eating habits, urging readers to become "bottomfeeders" themselves by focusing on wild species like sardines, mackerel, and herring, and farming only shellfish like oysters and mussels, which can actually help clean marine environments.

But there's a glaring problem with Grescoe's argument, and many other environmentalists who may agree with him: Effecting lasting change and sustainable impact would require a mass buy-in from the general consumer. Something we currently don't have.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), salmon consumption is three times higher than it was 40 years ago, and showing no signs of slowing down.

Some companies, realizing change needs to start with them, including changing the minds of skeptical, environmentally-conscious consumers, have come up with innovative ways of farming salmon that are gaining traction in the market.

• Creative Salmon was the first salmon farming company in North America to achieve organic certification under the Canadian Organic Aquaculture Standard, which means their practices are held to a higher standard, including no genetically modified organisms (GMOs), no antibiotics in their market fish, and a low-density environment for the salmon. They're also known for indigenous farming, focusing exclusively on raising Pacific Chinook salmon, a species indigenous to the Pacific Ocean where their farms are located.

• Grieg Seafood has relied on growing innovations in tech to mimic a circular economy approach to aquaculture. The company is actively working to develop and implement data analytics and AI to better monitor fish health and prevent disease outbreaks.

  
  

• SalMar is a leader in offshore aquaculture, moving salmon farming into more exposed, open-ocean environments, which improves water quality and reduces the concentration of parasites. The company also minimizes waste by collaborating with companies that process byproducts from their facilities into feed for other animals.

Farmed alternatives are far from perfect—but they may soon be the only option if consumers choose to keep eating salmon.

Additional pros of farmed salmon include:

• Year-Round Availability and Affordability: Farmed salmon, on the other hand, is available year-round, which provides a consistent supply for consumers and helps keep the price more stable and generally lower than wild-caught options.

  
  

• Reduced Pressure on Wild Stocks: The high global demand for salmon leads to overfishing and a potential collapse of wild salmon populations.

  
  

• Nutritional Consistency: The diet of farmed salmon is controlled, which leads to a more predictable and consistent nutritional profile.

  
  

• More Efficient Use of Resources: Farmed salmon have a low feed-conversion ratio, meaning they require less feed to produce a pound of body mass compared to other animal proteins like beef or chicken.

  
  

• Consistent Taste and Texture: Due to their controlled diet and environment, farmed salmon have a more consistent taste and texture.