We reported earlier in the week that farmed fish will now be allowed to use the “Organic” label.  This now means that when buying fish, the organic label can’t be trusted anymore.  Why spend the extra for organic when you could be buying a fish that just grew up in a slightly less crowded pen than its non-organic cousins?

These new laws mean it is back to the drawing board for consumers.  Which means that we need our own set of criteria to define ocean-friendly and organic fish.  The new watchword to look for isn’t organic, but wild-caught or wild fish.  All Alaskan salmon is required by law to be wild-caught and not farmed, so you can virtually be guaranteed that if you are buying Alaskan salmon, you aren’t buying a farmed fish.  Be careful that you aren’t purchasing Atlantic Salmon, as some species are endangered of this fish.

The wild fish label can be found in local specialty meat shops and organic food stores.   On top of looking for wild caught, research the fish name to make sure that it is a sustainable species.  The David Suzuki Foundation has some links to some awesome resources to vet your favourite fish at before you make it a staple.

Until organic standards can be properly hashed out to the satisfaction of the consumer, remembering “Alaskan Salmon” and “Wild” can’t be too hard.

This video gives a very good idea of how fish farms operate in case you were wondering.