This dark meat in salmon, called the fat line, is a stored reserve of fats (Omega-3s). Salmon swim thousands of miles, storing up fat they will need to migrate, often hundreds of miles, up rivers to spawn. This is necessary because they don’t eat once they enter the freshwater of the rivers. Depending on the species of salmon, the season and other factors, the thickness of the fat can vary, but all salmon have it. Some of the highest Omega-3 levels are found in the darker flesh, so it is excellent for you. That being said, not everyone likes to eat the dark meat, and some restaurants and fish markets remove it for aesthetic reasons. We opt to leave it in as it adds to the nutritive value of our canned salmon, and keeps with our sustainability mission by using all of the meat.