When it comes to canned fish, we know that tuna is not the best choice based on its often unsustainable fishing methods and high levels of toxins like mercury. But what is a better alternative? Sustainable seafood expert Paul Greenberg says canned salmon is the better choice for three important reasons.
We know how many salmon there are and how many we can catch. Because salmon return to the same place every year to spawn, it is easier to count the population and figure out the number of salmon that can be caught each year without long-term damage to their numbers.
We know how to catch salmon without significantly hurting the marine environment. Greenberg says we have figured out how to responsibly catch salmon using methods that do not harm other fish. Although marine mammals are occasionally caught in the nets, it is not nearly as bad as the longlines used for tuna, which can be hundreds of miles in length and ensnare sea turtles and sharks.
The species of salmon used in canned salmon eat lower on the food chain than tuna, and are thus lower in toxins. While the kinds of tuna used for canning are not the largest of the family, they are still higher on the food chain than the pinks, chums and sockeyes used for canned salmon, which prey on small crustaceans and plankton.
• Read more: A Tale of Two Cans: Why Canned Salmon Is Better Than Tuna at the Atlantic
Do you eat canned salmon? Do you have any other recommended alternatives to canned tuna?
Related: What Are Good Recipes To Make With Canned Salmon?
(Image: Flickr member muyfifi licensed under Creative Commons)
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Don't forget that canned salmon still tastes like salmon, while canned tuna tastes like… not tuna…
i loooove canned salmon. also, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Environmental Defense Fund has issued a consumer alert because of possibly dangerous levels of mercury in canned tuna. mercury=bad. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?gid=67
Most canned tuna is high in mercury and it should be consumed with caution by children and nursing and pregnant women. If you like tuna, make sure that at the very least you are consuming skipjack, which is generally lower in mercury.
To be very careful, buy American Tuna or some of the other brands that test for mercury content. This is the only kind I will serve my kids. Tasty, too.
Mercury is terrible for children.
And canned salmon is tasty, the kids like in burgers.
I love canned salmon and always make sure I have a few cans in my pantry. Its a great addition to my salads at lunch or mixed with a little shallts, panko and mayo for salmon cakes. Delicious.
I dunno, I think canned salmon is kind of ucky and doesn't really taste like salmon. But it tastes more like salmon than canned tuna tastes like fresh tuna, so there is that.
I had a great recipe for salmon croquettes, I should add it back into my rotation. Also, I love making fried rice with canned tuna or salmon. It sounds weird, but is delicious and ridiculously easy. It's what I make when I have leftover rice and I'm feeling lazy.
I make salmon cakes from canned salmon almost every week. Just throw in an egg, some lemon zest, capers, parsley, dijon mustard, and bread crumbs and pan fry them.
So good! And filling with brown rice and green veggies.
Canned salmon has become a staple in my household. I find that the brand makes a huge difference in taste. Our favorite is Whole Foods brand Red Sockeye Salmon (with bones and skin--they are totally edible and contain lots of calcium!). I try not to shop at Whole Foods anymore, but it's the one thing I will go there specifically to buy.
Wow. Tuna was usually the staple in my pantry because (for some reason!) canned salmon grossed me out a little. I have no idea why but maybe just because I love fresh salmon and didn't want to have to compare it. I don't know much about fresh tuna though. I'm definitely going to change it up though now. I'm sure I'll love the canned salmon just as much, if not more, than the canned tuna.
Or you could eat sardines, anchovies, smelt, and other small baitfish. Far more tasty, nutritious, and interesting to me than some giant steak of a fish creature.
Just because we know how to do things responsibly doesn't mean that we do. Plus, none of this applies for farmed salmon. This shortcut is attractive but not responsible.