The opening of salmon season this week isn't as noteworthy as it once was, because diners now feast on salmon year-round, thanks to fish farming. But commercial fishing ought to be noticed, because the commercially caught salmon are a better choice for consumers, and not just because the fresh-caught salmon are better eating. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has led the fight against overfishing and against depletion of fishing resources, and its experts say that eating wild salmon is the good environmental choice. In fact, habitat destruction is far more a danger to these fish than is overfishing. Aquarium scientists say that commercial fishermen have been agents for the environmental health of the industry, because they've made stream protection a major policy issue.
Most salmon raised on farms are of the Atlantic variety, which grows faster than Pacific salmon.
Three problems arise. One is that because the farmed fish are raised in close proximity to the ocean, they can escape easily into the wild. Marine biologists are concerned because these non-native fish have been found in local rivers where native populations are struggling to survive. Add to that the possibility of more pollution and of introduced diseases. These fish can spread new diseases to the native population.