Five years ago salmon leaped to the number three spot in America’s top seafood choices. Now we eat about twice as much of this pink-fleshed fish as we did a decade ago. We’re mad for the fish’s wealth of omega-3 fatty acids, which studies suggest render benefits ranging from lowering risk of stroke to reducing depression. So salmon farming is up, prices are down, and salmon is available year-round. But health experts note that not all salmon are created equal. The four most popular wild species from Alaska-chinook, coho, sockeye and pink-cost more, taste better and can carry less environmental contaminants. The good news is that the more forward-thinking salmon farmers are working fast to catch up. Enlightened fish farmers mix vegetarian feed with live food from cleaner South American waters, use preventative measures to minimize disease and drug use, tag their salmon and minimize escapes to guard against inbreeding with wild species.

Source: EnvironmentalDefense.org