Some 200 years ago, apprentices in London went on strike to protest against being fed salmon more than five times a week. Yet thanks to improved curing techniques introduced in the past century, salmon too became a luxury item. A Midlands chippie even offers battered salmon as a cheaper alternative to cod. The king of fish has truly lost its crown. Although wild salmon remains popular with foodies, stocks are in serious decline.
Some Scottish rivers limit catches to one fish per rod a week.
A further threat is the 395,000 farmed salmon estimated to have escaped their cages this year. Through interbreeding with their wild cousins, these fish can pass on lice and diseases - and can play havoc with the gene pool. As British palettes grow more adventurous, consumption of so-called exotic varieties is on the increase. Yet swordfish is on the World Conservation Union's list of endangered species. In the United States, environmentalists staged a two-year campaign to discourage chefs and shoppers from buying the fish.