Wildcatch Fish Co. Atlantic salmon

August 19, 2018

Everyone loves salmon and why not? It’s good for you, tastes great and can be cooked any number of ways by the most amateur of home cooks through to world renowned chefs.

We’re often asked about our salmon, in fact most of our enquiries relate to salmon. Is it wild, how is it farmed and is it ok to eat farmed salmon? When we were starting Wildcatch Fish Co. we spent a significant amount of time investigating and sourcing the freshest wild caught local fish. However for some popular varieties such as Atlantic salmon we needed to source them through aquaculture as salmon isn’t found wild in Australia. After researching and investigating many aquaculture operations throughout Australia, we chose Huon Aquaculture as our preferred suppliers of Australian grown Atlantic salmon. This was due to their commitment to fish wellbeing and their industry leading management of the environmental impact of their operations.

Is it wild?

This may come as a surprise to some but Atlantic salmon aren’t actually from Australia. As the name suggest these tasty fish come from the cold rivers and streams running into the Atlantic Ocean. Because of our unique and sometimes harsh climate, only small pockets of wild salmon and trout exist in the wild in Australia, we don’t have large enough salmon fisheries to sustain a commercial fishing fleet. Currently the only countries fishing wild Atlantic salmon are Canada and the USA, out of Alaska.

How is it farmed?

Wildcatch Fish Co. salmon are reared in the cool pristine waters off Tasmania where the cold temperatures make an ideal environment for the salmon to grow and thrive. Huon Aquaculture carefully manage their large ocean cages to ensure their fish have enough space and water to grow happily in conditions that can best replicate their natural habitat. In this case happy fish mean tasty fish!

The salmon are grown on a scientifically designed diet based on a combination of fish oil and terrestrial plant and animal protein.  This has progressed and improved significantly in recent years as new discoveries and innovations within the industry have reduced the reliance on wild caught fish protein.

Is it ok to eat farmed salmon?

So long as its Australian its fine. In Australia our farms are carefully managed and regulated to ensure the mistakes which have been made overseas are not repeated here. Huon Aquaculture  have taken this a step further by obtaining Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification which is widely regarded as the global benchmark for aquaculture production and environmental compliance.

On top of their international Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification the RSPCA here in Australia have announced Huon have joined their approved farming scheme, the first Australian aquaculture operation to do so. You can read more about this here.  

 So the bottom line is yes, every time you buy Wildcatch Fish Co. salmon you can be assured that not only is it the best tasting salmon you can get but its also been grown responsibly and ethically by Huon Aquaculture one of Australis most trusted and respected farmers. For any more information about Huon Aquaculture and their salmon, their website is very informative, you can find it here.

Get hooked!

 

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