Check its fins. If there is any eroding or scarring on the fins it is most likely that they were at one time it tanks, raceways or cages. When trout and salmon are crowded into and grown in man made enclosures their fins are almost always damaged and the scaring of the fins lasts until the day they die.

Now if you purchase your salmon in fillets in a supermarket you won’t see any fins, however, if you purchase in a seafood market, like Pike’s Place, you can check out the fins.

Perhaps we should just use the word “marking” for the rings marks on the otolith (ear bone) and reserve the word “imprinting” for the process by which the hatchery will place a salmon in a certain region when entered into salt water so the salmon will return to that spot for harvest. Might stop the confusion. As an aside, there is still debate as to how much of a salmon’s memory is imprinted during it’s freshwater and/or saltwater phase.

As for the marketplace information as to origin or aquaculture type, we’re not sure which state your from or what the laws are for labeling. The term “wild caught” or “line caught” was invented as a way of circumventing the need to distinguish between hatchery origin or truly wild. As 1 in 3 salmon from Alaska are from hatchery origin (that’s a general average – different species will be a lower or higher ratio), it’s a sure bet that the by using those terms you’ve got it covered whether it’s wild, ranched, enhanced etc. We doubt (with 99% certainty) that the supplier is testing the otolith bones to determine whether wild or ranched. If you can get away with calling it a name that sounds “wild” then you may be able to squeeze more $/pound.

You should simply ask the supplier you are referring to what they do to determine whether they label it “wild” or “wild caught” and why they feel the need to distinguish. Let us know if you find out, cause now you’ve peaked our interest!

Thanks again, Joe

Good questions.
It is almost impossible to look at the surface of a salmon and distinguish what is truly “wild” and what is “wild caught”. Fin clipping used to be common, but rarely used nowadays. Today there is a much cooler and scientific way of telling the difference. Hatcheries now have a “code” which they can imprint on the ear bone (called “otolith”). By changing water temperatures in early stages of a salmon’s life (each hatchery has a unique mark), the otolith bone is marked (similar to the growth rings of a tree). Although this gives the State a good idea of what percentage of salmon commercially caught is wild or hatchery origin, this information is not used in the market. Therefore all salmon is lumped in together and will be sold as either “wild” or “wild caught”. As for sport fishermen, I really don’t think they care, as long as they’re catching salmon!
You ask if there is nutrional advantages of wild over wild caught? No difference from the studies I’ve seen, it’s all pretty similar – healthy that is. By the way, we also feel the health benefits are equal between wild, ranched and farmed. Omega 3 levels are similar and contaminant levels in salmon are similar whether it’s wild, ranched or farmed. Don’t be fooled by “studies” that are nothing more than marketing tools. We can back this up with science if you’d like.
So to be clear, we support aquaculture. This site was designed simply to educate the consumer on the unfair marketing games played by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (not admitting they culture salmon and the tireless attacks on salmon farmers) and to help people decide on what they see as a sustainable way of providing salmon to a growing market.

How on earth do commercial & sport fisherman tell tell these two types of salmon apart after catching them together?????????? There must be a way, since packages are labeled so at the grocery store. Is there any nutritional or health advantage of wild over wild caught as there is with wild over farm raised?

Thanks again, I look forward to hearing from you.
Joe