ALASKA SALMON - IT MIGHT JUST BE THE ULTIMATE FOOD
Alaska Salmon are not only super-rich in omega-3 esential fatty acids, high in protein and low in fat, they're also abundant!

JUNEAU, Alaska: If you've ever been reluctant to buy salmon because you're worried that you're contributing to the "endangered species" problem, ask if it's from Alaska. Alaska salmon are not only delicious, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, high in protein and low in saturated fat, they're also very abundant.

Pacific North westerners are particularly aware of the plight of many species of salmon: In a March 1999 study conducted for the State of Alaska, 85% of the respondents in Seattle and Portland had heard about salmon being an endangered species, compared to about 33% of respondents in the other regions of the US.

Unfortunately, many of those questioned lump all stocks of North Pacific Ocean salmon together, assuming all stocks in all locations must be endangered. Actually, more than 150 million salmon were commercially caught in Alaska 1998, even as sufficient numbers were allowed to swim upstream to spawn.

Lucky for us, a lot of that good Alaska salmon made its way into markets across the Pacific Northwest.

The Ingredients for Great Salmon

Why are there so many salmon in Alaska? Part of their reason is geography. Alaska is so far north, salmon there thrive in an environment as ideal as any on Earth. Plus, the state is relatively unpopulated (600,000 people), and there's very little industry or development to pollute the streams and ocean.

These factors, combined with the earth's water and air circulation patterns, make Alaska's waters - and its seafood - among the cleanest in the world. Numerous studies support this, most recently a 1998 EPA survey of Cook Inlet seafood. The results indicate that finfish and shellfish in Cook Inlet are cleaner than any that the EPA has ever tested.

The pristine environment and natural conditions are what give Alaska salmon its unique flavor, color and texture. Alaska's five different species of salmon travel thousands of miles of open sea, so they store up lots of fat for the journey. These fats give Alaska salmon it super-rich flavor. The fat content, and the color (ranging among the five species from pale pink to a rosy red) are the result of a diet of shrimp, herring, squid, zoo plankton and other marine life. this diet is also what makes Alaska salmon a great source of heart-healthful omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Alaska salmon grow to maturity at a natural pace, and get lots of exercise in cold water, which gives the flesh their nice, firm texture for which Alaska salmon are famous.

Conservation is Also Key to Abundance

In Alaska, the fish come first. "Sustained yield" management is even required by the state's Constitution, and supersedes any harvesting. The result? "Stocks of salmon spawning in Alaska are general healthy," states the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website, "with statewide harvests ranging from about 100 to 200 million salmon per year over the past 15 years." That's nearly 95% of the salmon commercially caught in the entire country!

Amazingly, all this salmon isn't harvested from large boats. The industry is essentially made up of small-boat, family-run enterprises; it's more common than not to see moms and kids involved. Joe Emerson, a second-generation, Juneau-based fisherman, says, "It's like a family farm run by legacy, not corporate profits. And I can tell you there's far more fish out there than there ever was when I was a kid," he says, "because we're conservationists."

Not Only Good, But Good for You

Alaska salmon are abundant, taste great, and are also exceptionally good for you: high in minerals and protein and low in saturated fats. In fact, Alaska salmon are one of the best natural sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids, the "good fat" that offers such a wide range of health benefits. Scientific evidence suggests that omega-3's play a critical role in reducing the risk of health problems such as heart attack, hypertension, breast cancer, some kinds of arthritis and even depression.

Salmon could be the ultimate food, especially when they're from the cold, clean waters of Alaska.

Source: Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute