… a little label reading is in order. If a can indicates that the fish inside is Atlantic salmon, you’ll want to pick a different brand. Atlantic salmon are always farmed, as they have been nearly driven to extinction in the wild. Farmed salmon, of course, is a poor choice due to antibiotic use, toxins such as PCBs, and pollution of waterways (where the salmon are kept in vast pens). You should also try to avoid salmon that has been shipped overseas for processing. If the label tells you your salmon is a “product of Thailand” or some other country, that means the fish was caught in the U.S., shipped across the world, processed, and then shipped back to the states for sale. That’s an awful long way for your food to travel, all in the name of cheaper labor.
Related: What The Fish Monger At Whole Foods Market Is Eating
What canned salmon to buy?
First, make sure the label indicates that the salmon you’re buying is either Alaskan pink salmon, sockeye, or red salmon. All of those terms indicate that your salmon is the wild stuff from North American waters. The Alaskan salmon fishery is one of the most well-managed, safe, and sustainable fisheries in the world, so as long as your salmon is wild-caught, it’s almost always an ethical choice on all fronts.