Saving the World from Farmed Salmon

A FISHY TALE

2012-01-25T14:08:00.005-09:00

AS I SIT DOWN TO WRITE, I'm wondering if I can really make a change in the giant seafood business. I sure rant about it enough, I do my best to preach it to the masses, but can I really ever make a difference?

The seafood industry has become powerful and is ruled by greed. Common sense and environmental responsibility seems to be something that mattered long ago - but not now, not with all the money there is to be made.

IS it possible to expose the devastation being caused? Can one voice really matter? Does it really even matter? Are people growing weary of hearing me rant? Will I ever make a difference? Will people stop ignoring the blatant atrocities fish farms are getting away with? Will they ever ask questions about where their fish comes from and demand sustainable seafood??? But more on this thought later...

The new motto in the fish industry has become, "Want more fish? We'll make more!"

Little, if any, concern has been given to our oceans and environment. And NOAA, (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the same government agency we trust to protect our oceans, is giving a green light to "aquaculture", aka "nasty fish farms", off the Gulf of Mexico. It's even been rumored that their plans are to expand aquaculture off the coasts of Alaska. Heaven forbid. (Click here to read more about what the folks in Alabama think of this.)

There is no place since the beginning of fish farming, that fish farms haven't harmed and destroyed the wild fish stock. FACT: Everywhere there is fish farming, wild fish are rapidly depleting, and in many places - gone.

I've heard some say that Alaska is also guilty of farming fish. That is total nonsense. Yes, we do have shellfish aquaculture in Alaska. Happy clams and oysters are being raised and thriving in protected water in Alaska. However, shellfish farming is much different that finfish farming. In fact, Alaska is so vehemently opposed to finfish farming, that its been prohibited in the Alaska State Constitution (see AS 16.40.210). That's a pretty powerful opposition statement!

In my upcoming documentary, A Fishy Tale, Alaska Senator Fred Dyson, a long time commercial fisherman, and close friend of my late father, will be taking us on a tour of the shellfish aquaculture as well as clarifying for us the confusion out there with Alaska's fish hatcheries and actual fish farms.

I've also noticed that when fish farming companies can't defend themselves and explain why they are raising poisoned salmon and killing our oceans, they quickly turn a finger to Alaska and say "Look, they're doing it too!" They know it's ludicrous, but they just love to hear us defend it. A classic political move. Ugh.

One more point then I'm done, I believe fish farms — even ones heralded as "sustainable" — create as many problems as they solve, from fecal contamination to the threat that escaped cultivated fish pose to the wild salmon. Even if the feed they give them isn't filled with as much poison as the other feed, it's like saying, "There's just a little bit of poop on your plate. Go ahead and eat up! Bon Appetite!" Huh?

And what about the farmed fish that are escaping and killing the wild fish?!? How's that sustainable?? And all the fish poop, hormones, and antibiotics that flow down through the net crushing every bit of life on the oceans floor - how's THAT sustainable??? I'm sure you get my point, but I believe it's impossible to put the words "sustainable" and "farmed" in the same sentence and be credible.

"My fish ain't farmed!!"

Now back to my first thought.

To think that I, a common girl from Alaska with no significant wealth or popularity, could find a way to challenge big government, fight NOAA, educate people about the devastation caused by farmed fishing, and actually create a change in the industry, is just a dream... At least that's what I thought before I shared my frustration with Tracie.

Tracie Donahue, is a girlfriend of mine who went to high school with me in Alaska. Life took us on separate paths after graduation - she cheered in college, moved to Reno, then Sacramento CA, got involved in the entertainment and movie industry, made a couple documentaries, won some movie awards, dated celebrities, skied in Tahoe, drank expensive champagne... (ok, ok, I'm just messin with her!) and most recently moved near Hagerstown MD, where she is now the Director of the Maryland International Film Festival. (I keep telling myself blonds do NOT have more fun...)

We kept in touch over the years and visited each other several times, but it wasn't until this last year when I was giving Tracie my impassioned speech about the evils of fish farms, that she started to make me believe change was really possible. Tracie suggested we make a film and show the world what this fish business is all about. Through her optimism, wit, knowledge of the movie industry, our friendship, and her belief in me, I'm thinking a change is starting to come!

Tracie has put together an impressive crew to make this film a reality. I can't wait to show it to you and expose the fishy tale that fish farms would like you to hear.

Stay tuned. A FISHY TALE is scheduled to be out by this Fall of 2012.

Oh, by the way, that's our movie poster up on top - cool huh?

So, I'm making a movie...

2011-11-10T18:17:00.000-09:00

As you know, I'm passionate about saving the world from farmed salmon - Especially open-net fish farms. Open-net fish farms are truly the most overlooked environmental hazard of our day. The toxins and devastation they spread in our oceans are causing havoc with other wild fish species and marine life living in the ocean. So toxic that dead zones are found in the oceans everywhere fish farms are present.

While doing some research, I came across a NASA website showing the current dead zones in our ocean. The size and number of marine dead zones (areas where the deep water is so low in dissolved oxygen that sea creatures can’t survive) have grown explosively in the past half-century. Red circles on this map show the location and size of many of our planet’s dead zones. Black dots show where dead zones have been observed, but their size is unknown.

I found it extremely interesting to see on the map that dead zones are located where fish farms are prolific. Scandinavia's oceans have been devastated by fish farms, and note the dead zones in Canada and the British Columbia area. Open-net fish farms allow the toxic chemicals the fish are being fed, as well as all the fish poop, to flow right through to the ocean floor. This depletes the ocean of oxygen and kills every living thing surrounding the area.

To add insult to injury, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA — the federal agency tasked with protecting our oceans) recently announced that it would begin implementing its plan to allow the set up of the first factory fish farms in the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf has already been battered by the oil industry – the last thing we need is enormous ocean fish farms that can and do spread disease & sea lice (see picture below), allow for millions of fish to escape, kill off wild populations, jeopardize the tourism industry, and further destroy the livelihood of local fishermen.

The forging ahead of fish farms seems ludicrous when NOAA’s own policy states, ‘Environmental challenges posed by aquaculture…may include nutrient and chemical wastes, water use demands, aquatic animal diseases and invasive species, potential competitive and genetic effects on wild species, effects on endangered or protected species, effects on protected and sensitive marine areas, effects on habitat for other species, and the use of forage fish for aquaculture feeds.’

IN A FRUSTRATED RANT to my girlfriend, Tracie Donahue, I bemoaned my seemingly lack of progress in educating the public and making a change regarding the current attitudes and perception of farmed fish. Sometimes it seems like regardless of the proof and facts I give about the devastation caused by these fish farms, people don't understand the consequences of eating farmed salmon! With knowledge comes responsibility and I wonder if a lot of people prefer living in blissful ignorance.

Tracie happens to be an award winning film director (SECRETS TO LOVE) and suggested that we make a documentary to help raise awareness. Just one conversation is all it took and we've been off and running ever since.

The film is called, A Fishy Tale. Our executive producer is none other than Joe Carnahan, the director of recent film The A Team,Smokin Aces, Nark, and The Grey (due out in January 2012). Tracie will be the film director. I just provide the inspiration :)

We've already filmed several interviews for A Fishy Tale. I went to D.C. and visited with Alaska Congressman Don Young (see photo above right) who understands the importance of keeping open-net fish farming out of the United States. We also spoke with Pennsylvania Congressman Tim Murphy (see Tracie and Congressman Young in below photo) regarding the amount of imports that are brought into our country and not inspected. (This is important because 90% of our fish is imported. Only 2% of that is inspected at our ports - HALF of that 2% is deemed too toxic for human consumption and sent away. This means the remaining 88% of our seafood is never inspected and likely at least half of that is too toxic for human consumption!!)

We were recently in San Francisco interviewing Casson Trenor, owner of Tataki Sushi - America's first sustainable sushi restaurant, and author of Sustainable Sushi - Saving the Ocean One Bite at a Time.

We're headed next to Norway and British Columbia to show whats coming if we allow aquaculture (fish farming) to expand in the United States. Already we've seen wild salmon become extinct on the East Coast since the fish farms moved in along the coasts of Maine and Nova Scotia. Our film will end back in Alaska where we will show off how Alaska is the world's model for sustainable fishing, and keeping our oceans healthy and fish abundant.

I want to make a change in the seafood industry. I want people to understand how important it is for us to act. If we do nothing, we will lose our oceans. Even though I will never eat farmed salmon due to the junk they're fed, there are still ways to raise fish in farms that don't destroy our oceans. A closed containment system, where fish are raised in tanks on land, is an excellent alternative to the open-net cages. We hope to visit one such operation in the State of Washington along our journey.

I'll be blogging along the way - posting pictures of our film process. I'd love your feedback throughout this process. Post your comments - let us know what questions we can answer in our film.

So, that's what's coming - A FISHY TALE. Look for it next summer!

Our FIRST commercial!

2011-04-27T17:04:00.001-08:00

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!! Here it is!!! Our very FIRST commercial! Check it out!

What IS Sustainable Seafood??

2011-04-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

This question comes up all the time. I was at the grocery store yesterday and walked by the seafood counter to see what they had for sale. I’m always interested to see what kind of fish grocers have in their case. I’m honestly not looking for trouble - I just have a simple curiosity to see what kind of seafood stores are selling.

I noticed that they had THREE kinds of salmon for sale. Wild salmon, farmed salmon, and organic salmon. The organic salmon looked exactly like the farmed salmon. The wild salmon was bright red and the refreshed wild sockeye fillets were nicely arranged. The farmed salmon looked fresher, but its color was sickening pale. And then, there was this odd organic salmon, which had me deeply puzzled.

I’ve been in the salmon business for a long time and I’ve never heard of organic salmon. We refer to SEABEEF, our premium grade whole sockeye fillets, as the Ocean’s Organic Alternative to Beef, but I’ve never actually heard of anyone marketing and labeling a type of salmon as organic!

As I was considering these thoughts, a man walked up to the counter and asked the seafood guy which salmon was the best. The seafood guy showed the shopper the three kinds of salmon displayed, and mumbled something about them all being good. The shopper asked, “Well, what's your freshest salmon?” The seafood guy pointed to the farmed salmon and told him the store had just received it yesterday. “Then that’s what I want. I want good and fresh salmon” said the shopper.

I had a hard time watching the seafood guy grab hold of the farmed salmon and flop it on the scale. Seeing the pale and mushy flesh always makes me nauseous. It took everything I had in me to push my cart and walk away without saying anything to either one of them. I wanted to tell the shopper in intricate detail how toxic and gross farmed salmon was. I also wanted to lay into the seafood guy for even selling it – as if he had anything to do with it.

It did make me wonder though, about the guy who asked for the “best salmon in the store”. We all know it’s vogue and popular to buy local and organic, and obviously something the shopper had heard somewhere made him ask for the best and freshest salmon…

THEN CONSIDER EARlier in the week, my husband and I had dinner at a restaurant at a ski resort about an hour from where we live. A huge fire was roaring in the fireplace near our table, and menus were handed to us by the hostess.

I immediately noticed that the nights menu featured a Sustainable Fish. I of course asked our server what the sustainable fish was for that night. She said... "salmon."

“Wild salmon?” I asked.

“Atlantic salmon”, she replied.

“How can it be? Atlantic salmon is not a sustainable seafood”.

“Let me go ask the chef”, and off she went to the kitchen. My husband took a deep breath, as he knew what was coming… (poor man)

The server came back out and said, “They say, Atlantic salmon is sustainable.”

I said, “Who’s they? If it’s your chef he certainly doesn’t know anything about sustainable seafood.” I quickly recognized the confused and shocked look on her face so I casually changed the subject to ask about the duck.

These poor waiters and waitresses – totally blindsided by people like me. How could they possibly know without being educated? And if the chef, their chef whom they admire and respect, puts farmed salmon on the menu and tells them it’s great fish, WHO are they to question?

Both of these recent events made me realize that all the education about sustainable fishing, the toxins of farmed salmon & shrimp, and the havoc fish farms create in our environment, JUST ISN’T GETTING THROUGH to people, or at best, leaves them confused.

Here’s a simple explanation as to what Sustainable Seafood means: It’s seafood that’s managed and fished using practices that ensure there will always be more to catch in the future, as well as fishing practices that take care not to harm the fish, other marine plants and animals, or the environment.

So what’s the solution? Perhaps our government needs to wake up and take note of the hundreds of reports warning us of the dangers with farmed salmon & shrimp farms. Or maybe chefs need to be transported to the actual fish farms so they can see for themselves what toxins are being fed to the fish and the disease that’s being spread over the ocean floor. We should insist the Department of Environment step up its game and declare war on fish farms. The Clean Water Act needs to include fish farms in its demand for clean water.

But beyond all that, I think the first answer is for people to educate themselves about sustainable seafood. The task isn’t that daunting with all the resources made available. For instance, I think the very best organization with the easiest chart to follow regarding sustainable seafood is Monterey Bay Aquarium. They have put out a pocket sustainable seafood guide (made available on their website, or let me know and I’ll mail you one), which makes choosing sustainable seafood easy! Three columns are on this chart – Best Choices – Good Alternatives – and the Avoid column. A ton of seafood is listed on this chart in each of these columns for you to simply follow. Just throw this chart in your purse or wallet and you’re set to go to any restaurant, grocery store, or seafood supplier and be a smart consumer. By purchasing only sustainable seafood, you can influence the market and increase awareness of making responsible seafood choices.

By the way, Atlantic salmon is on the AVOID list. The main reason? Farmed fishing devastates our oceans and environment with its pollution.

Wild Alaskan seafood has always been on the top of sustainable seafood charts. Get yours today at Wild Alaskan Salmon Company!

This seafood could kill us!

2010-12-09T16:14:00.000-09:00

With all the press lately about toxic seafood being imported into the U.S., it's made going out to dinner an absolute ordeal. I've already scared my friends half to death by informing them that what they are eating is probably pure poison. It's hard to know what's left on the menu that hasn't been genetically altered in someway! Can we trust that the chicken or beef on the menu hasn't been injected with growth hormones? And what about the vegetables? They've probably been sprayed with pesticides that will make us all sick. We know we can't touch the seafood, so what's left to order? We find ourselves sitting around the table staring at the menu and deciding whether it's worth playing Russian roulette and risking our health! It's really tough to find something unless you know and trust your chef. There are some great chefs out there that search out organic farmers and wild Alaskan seafood suppliers (like myself), but unfortunately, most are still way more concerned about getting cheap food out on the table to turn the highest profit.

Did you know in the United States that 80% of our fish and 90% of our shrimp, is imported and less than 2% of that seafood is inspected by our federal government? (The FDA reportedly lacks the resources and authority to inspect more of our imports.) Of that 2%, between 40-50% of that seafood has been tested and found toxic to humans. How dangerous are these toxic chemicals? According to the Today Show investigator (see video below), eating this seafood causes anemia, cancer and even birth defects. And, even more tragic, is that once that seafood gets into the U.S., it is mixed in with our domestic product and gets lost in the shuffle. 78% of our fish and 88% of our shrimp is never inspected - YIKES! That means YOUR GROCER and YOUR CHEF, has really no idea where there seafood came from and also have no idea if what they are serving you could be poisonous. THAT'S REALLY SCARY STUFF!!

Here are a couple good videos that will give you a wake-up call:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Moral of the story: KNOW where your seafood is coming from. Insist that your chef buys from reputable suppliers of fresh and wild seafood. ALWAYS say NO to farmed raised ANYTHING. Buy wild Alaskan or domestic seafood whenever possible.

Remember, your best bet and the most healthy seafood is always Wild Alaskan Salmon!

Jammin Salmon Seafood Fair

2010-09-29T05:46:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I spent the day at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium to be part of their Jammin Salmon Sustainable Seafood Fair. The goal was to educate people on what sustainable seafood means, as well as to explain how choosing the right fish to eat can be beneficial to our oceans and wildlife. I am always happy to be part of events like these because I am a HUGE proponent of sustainable seafood. Farmed fisheries are a huge culprit in killing our oceans and destroying what's left of this all-important natural resource. Education is key to helping the public understand their part in reversing this catastrophe. Over 8,000 people came to the zoo and took part of the fair event!

I, along with several area chefs, took part in the Jammin Salmon Cook-Off. Each chef prepared Wild Alaskan Salmon Company's wild Alaskan salmon in different ways and had the public sample our creations.

I was at first extremely intimidated at the thought of cooking along side chefs especially after I heard what they were planning on making. One was making a ceviche, another was whipping up some sort of bourbon salmon with squash, and another was making a Thai salmon creation. I had NO idea what I should come up with that would be as exciting, but I do know how to cook salmon. I called one of my great friends, Chef Greg Alauzen from Cioppino Restaurant in Pittsburgh, who gave me a pep talk and told me to stick with what I know. "Don't try to act like a chef", he said,"just cook it how you know people like it." I'm so glad I took his advice. I kept it simple and it turned out great!

My main thought going into this was that I wanted people to actually buy wild Alaskan salmon and feel confident enough to cook it for themselves at home. I didn't want them being so intimidated after seeing all these fancy dishes that they would never consider preparing it for themselves. I opted to do something very simple and hoped it would be a hit.

I was thrilled by the feedback I received! People kept getting back in my line to have more samples and told me repeatedly that they loved it and how surprised they were that the recipe was so simple. I, of course, was happy that my recipe was a success and wanted to make sure I shared it with you as well. It's easy easy EASY!

Sara's Easy Stove-top Wild Salmon (note:EASY)

4 6oz wild Alaskan salmon fillets (skinless)
1 medium onion (diced)
5T Butter
3T Soy Sauce
2T Minced Garlic
2T Chile Powder
Salt & Pepper

Directions: Over medium heat, melt butter in saucepan and saute onions. Add garlic, salt & pepper - mix with onion & butter. Add skinless fillets and generously sprinkle soy sauce & Chile powder over salmon. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side.

Suggest serving with rice & your favorite veggie. Pour yourself a glass of pinot noir and enjoy.

To get your own wild Alaskan salmon and try out the recipe for yourself, go online to Wild Alaskan Salmon Company!

Out on the fishing boat & and chillin at the beach site.

2010-09-06T18:15:00.001-08:00

To give a little better perspective of Alaska commercial fishing, Trish and I filmed ourselves on one of our commercial fishing days in Alaska. Unfortunately, since we picked our very last day of fishing to finally do this filming, there isn't a lot of action to see - I guess it's better than nothing. Hopefully next year I will get some better video and you'll get even a better idea of the life of a commercial fisherman.

This particular day was spent at a set-net site in Ninilchik, Alaska, however, not all of Wild Alaskan Salmon Company's fish come from set-net sites. In fact, all the fish we get from the Prince William Sound area (Copper River) are caught by drift boats. Meaning fisherman lay out their nets from the stern of their boat and let the net "drift" out in the ocean.

We actually offer our customers the opportunity to come out to a beach set net site and do what Trish and I did. What a great way to immerse yourself in Alaska fishing! Pick one week in July and stay in a beautiful cabin which overlooks one of our fishing sites. (Don't worry, you won't be staying in a typical rustic beach cabin - these cabins are brand new and have all the modern amenities ALL with glorious views) Plus, each guest gets to bring home 20lbs of salmon processed however they want it! If you are interested in experiencing Alaska in a wonderfully unique way, check out our trip offered on our website at www.SEABEEF.com and click on Alaska's Friendliest Catch!

(Yes - she DID say Moose ribs. That's what Carolyn is cooking the fishing crew for dinner.)

The Family Element

2010-08-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

(MAKE SURE YOU SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE TO VIEW THE VIDEO!)
My family has been commercial fishing in Alaska for 40 years but my dad started even earlier than that. He and his brother commercial fished out in Bristol Bay when they were in their early 20's. Dad loved the adventure and excitement of being out on the ocean and he eventually drew all of us kids into the action, whether we liked it or not. (this is my family in the picture posing on a fish dock at Naknek, Alaska - I'm the youngest with pig tails in front) My poor brother Chuck had to start going out on the boat all summer with dad when he was just 7 years old! I can't remember when my other brother Joel started going out, but probably around that age as well. Totally crazy to think about now, but that was dad - never practical and always assumed everything would be just fine. (Which probably explains why he let me drive to Homer - a 70 mile drive from our house - when I was only 11 years old - insane..) But, that part of dad was what made him so lovable and endearing to me. Hardly ever practical, always up for an adventure, made me feel like I could do anything, and really, really just loved life. The saying "Only the good die young" is SO true. It's amazing how fresh the pain of his death still feels after six years. I started this business as a tribute to him so I guess I feel comfortable sharing with you a few of my personal thoughts about him.

Anyway, I wanted to show you some video footage of while I was in Alaska. The video I've posted here below is some footage at a set-net fishing site on the Cook Inlet in Ninilchik, Alaska where my nephew Chuck currently fishes. The site is owned by Loren Leman, a former Alaska state senator for many years and also a former lieutenant governor of Alaska. The fish site is also where my brother Chuck and sister Amiel fished as well. I spent a lot of time down here on the fish site as a youth but never did fish out here. I was too young to be of much use but I went down often with my mom bringing homemade chocolate chip cookies and other fun snacks to my brother and sister.

I didn't start fishing out in Bristol Bay with my dad till I was around 12 or 13. Being the youngest in the family, I wasn't expected to do much on the boat other than hang out and hang on! I did a little cooking, counted fish as they came in, picked very few fish, got sick and threw up on rough days, and generally just entertained my dad. But, it was a highlight of growing up and I'd give anything to have those days back with him. I wish I had some video of commercial fishing with him out in Bristol Bay, but this set net site with my brother Chuck and his son Chuck is all I have. Still this site has a lot of significance since our family has so much history there. Loren, and his wife Carolyn, are old family friends so I am happy to introduce him to you, along with my brother Chuck, his son Chuck, and my partner and sister-in-law, Trish! More video to come.

Love Sick (& other random thoughts)

2010-07-26T10:23:00.000-08:00

Another fishing season is over and waves of nostalgia flood over me as I get ready to leave Alaska and head back to Pennsylvania. Trish and I have spent a great final week together doing some filming we needed to get done for our business. We tried to capture all the different aspects of our business so our customers can totally understand what we do and see our passion. While trying to get it all down on film, I was reminded again and overwhelmed with how much I love Alaska. The weather has been cold this summer and it's been raining nonstop for the last 3 days, but I realize that Alaska has placed it's thumbprint on me and I'll never be able to escape it. No matter what the weather, or how bad the fishing season, Alaska is still, and forever will be, home.

I have so many thoughts that race through my mind as I prepare to leave this great state. It's hard leaving life-long friends that I only see anymore during the summer. Whatever bond we have reestablished will have to wait for another year. It's hard leaving my dad's grave and kicking myself for not planting the tree next to his headstone that I kept reminding myself to do before I left - it's still not done. Snow will come by September and they will close the grave yard till the end of May. I'll be back in June so hopefully I'll get to it then. Still, I hate leaving and not having it done. My dad was such a treasure that I don't really have an excuse to not keep his grave looking completely cared for.

I have many nieces and nephews whose lives I totally am missing out on. I am IN LOVE with my brother's little red-headed, 8 year old son, Paul. So Paul and 13 other nieces and nephews will have to wait till next year to give Auntie a big hug. All things that are very sad and I struggle with when I leave.

However, there are many, many great things about being in Alaska. My daughter Jamie, who is a total joy, was with me this trip and shares in all my silly nostalgia. I believe she is as in love with Alaska as anyone else could be. (That is her standing out in Turnagain Arm)

And besides having a blast with Trish getting all our filming done, I had some great opportunities to hang with friends and family. I ate fresh king salmon eggs for the first time in my life the other day at the beach site. Gross, but strangely left me wanting more. And last night, I was invited to dinner, along with several other fortunate guests, to a home of other good friends. Our appetizer was smoked salmon and the main course was grilled fresh salmon with a teriyaki marinade. I loved it! I think eating Alaska's fish and game whenever we get the chance is a cool and unique trait of Alaskans. Sometimes I think I'm weird when I order it at a restaurant if I see it on the menu, especially when I have freezers full of the stuff.

Even tonight, I was in Anchorage with my mom and Jamie at a restaurant called The Glacier Brewhouse, which is right off 5th Avenue in downtown. We ordered king crab legs for an appetizer, along with big halibut chunks and tartar sauce. For the main course I had macadamia nut crusted wild sockeye salmon and Jamie had a smoked king salmon and shrimp salad. Strange, probably to many, that having salmon last night for dinner I would order it again, but what can I say? I'm love sick. The king crab legs were absolutely divine and the salmon was just, well, there's just nothing better in my opinion. Along with a couple Alaskan Amber beers and my great company, our dinner was perfect. Wild Alaskan seafood is the BEST and there is nothing better than eating it IN Alaska at a great restaurant like the Glacier Brewhouse. The restaurant was absolutely packed and even at 10pm when we left, it was perfectly daylight and there was still an hour wait to get a table for dinner.

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you some of the video that we filmed. It does help explain what it is we do and I think you will enjoy seeing Alaska brought to life.

Looking forward to sharing Alaska with you soon.

Sara

Wild Alaskan Salmon Company

Temporarily insane...

2010-06-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love to go out for dinner. And when I do plan to go out, I look forward to it all day - anticipating the great food and the good conversation I'm going to have with my friends. One of my favorite things to eat, believe it or not, is wild Alaskan salmon. I regularly order it just so I can sample the different ways chefs prepare this awesome fish.

However, I do NOT love going out for dinner, ordering wild Alaskan salmon on the menu, anticipating a great meal, and then discovering that the salmon, in fact, is NOT wild salmon but actually farmed.

This exact thing happened just last week. My husband and I went out to dinner with friends to a nearby restaurant that has a quaint little bar adjacent to the dining area. The evening started out well. We enjoyed some creative drinks from the bartender and made our way into the dining room feeling a little tipsy and relaxed. I was even surprised to find wild Alaskan salmon on their menu and was anxious to try it out!

However, I became a little suspicious as we walked into the dining room because the restaurant was almost completely empty on a Thursday night. In addition, our waitress seemed really awkward, uncomfortable, and shy. (You know how you can just tell that right away? The waiter/waitress is uncomfortable, which then makes you uncomfortable, and you start to suspect that the service is going to be lousy, and your great night may just not be that great after all?) Anyway, that's what was happening and I became a little anxious that tonight's meal may just not be what I had anticipated.

Anyway, as I started to say, I was happily surprised to find wild Alaskan salmon on the menu. And because I am in the fish business and like to know where restaurants are getting their fish, I asked the waitress where the salmon was caught. As I sort of suspected, she had no idea and said she would go ask the chef. (This is usually a sure sign that there may be a problem. - Why, you may ask? BECAUSE, chefs who are awesome enough to put Wild Alaskan seafood on their menu CARE about the quality of their fish and KNOW where it's caught. They also train their waitstaff to know their entire menu so they can present it well to the customer and answer any questions about the food preparation or any other thing about the menu the guest may be wondering about. Our waitress didn't have a clue. But anyway, I digress...)

We placed our dinner order, and the waitress never did come back to answer my question about the salmon. I sat back in my chair, clenched my drink, and wondered what was going to be on my plate when it came.

And then...the dinners started to come out. Right away I recognized the gross, mushy, gaping flesh, and sickly pale color of farmed salmon. I felt like throwing up in my mouth. I heard myself say, "this is farmed salmon" as the plate was being put down in front of me.

Our silly waitress lit up when she heard me say that, as if she was delighted that I had guessed correctly which kind of fish it was! She smiled brightly and said proudly, "it's Alaska farmed wild salmon". All I could think was that our waitress was a very unfortunate and simple girl who didn't have a brain in her head. Alaska,farmed,and wild, are all words that don't belong together, especially since Alaska has strict rules against fish farming in our state and farmed salmon totally grosses out Alaskans.

I began to fume. A fire began to burn in my belly and my palms started to get sweaty, even though I tried to act as if it was okay. My husband and friends asked if I wanted to order something else or if I wanted some of their food - you know, the things people do for you when you order something disgusting on the menu. I assured them I was fine and that I would just eat the side dishes. However, I was silently thinking about a plan as to how I was going to address the chef about the fish.

I excused myself after a few minutes to go to the restroom but instead found the owner standing near the entrance into the kitchen. I interrupted whatever he was doing and strongly impressed upon him my complete disgust and outrage over his restaurant selling farmed salmon as wild. I explained to him that not only was it illegal but just flat out immoral to do such a thing. He apologized for any mix-up and hurriedly went through the double swinging doors into the kitchen to talk to the chef.

I stood there listening through the doors to their conversation and peeking through the windows. The owner asked the chef where the fish was from and where he had bought it. I could hear that the chef was getting his feathers ruffled. I heard him respond with questions like "Who is asking?" and "How do they know it's not wild?". But THEN I heard him tell the owner, "It's Atlantic salmon but just tell her that it's wild Alaskan salmon".

I'm not sure what happened in my brain at that moment, but something short-circuited, because I busted through the double doors and started yelling at the chef! I started ranting about how I had just heard what he said, and how absolutely illegal it was to sell farmed salmon as wild, and what scum they were to do this and how no reputable business or restaurant does this sort of thing. I assured them I would never come back to their restaurant and would tell everyone I knew to never go back as well. My rant lasted several minutes until I felt satisfied that the chef had been beaten down and felt like total slime.

But you should have seen these guys in the kitchen, all just standing there with their jaws to the floor! There were a couple sous-chefs, a dishwasher, the chef and the owner - all staring at me with wide eyes and in absolute disbelief. How absurd it must have been to see this crazed woman bust through the doors and start lecturing/yelling at them about salmon! I'm sure they thought I was insane. Well, I was...temporarily.

I left the kitchen, took a few deep breaths, got my self re-grouped, and went back to the dinner table. I got a few quizzical looks as I sat back down. My husband said he thought I must have gotten lost as I had been gone for quite some time. I ended up explaining my little outburst in the kitchen which sent my friends into hysterics. I actually felt a little embarrassed and wished I hadn't been so firey. But on the other hand, what the heck? I mean, what kind of business does that sort of thing?

I hope that restaurant goes out of business and the chef is exposed for the fraud that he is. Or maybe he had just gone temporarily insane.

Moral of this story: Be aware of restaurants, fish markets, and grocery stores who market their fish as wild when they are really selling the disgusting and evil farmed salmon, which pollutes our oceans and coast lines. If you are not certain that you can identify wild vs farmed, it's better not to buy it unless you are buying from a proven source such as Wild Alaskan Salmon Company!

Hallelujah, it's raining Wild Alaskan Salmon!

2010-05-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

I look forward to the month of May every year. It's when life is breathed back into Alaska's fisherman. Boats are cleaned and equipment inspected. Nets are mended and readied for a new season. Fishing crews arrive and the harbors start to get busy with activity. Chefs around the globe anxiously anticipate the arrival of the first catch of wild salmon at their restaurants.

The demand is high and the price is at a premium but people everywhere flock to get Alaska's Copper River salmon - the first run of wild Alaskan salmon of the year. The price of salmon comes down as the run continues throughout the different fishing areas in Alaska, but it seems every year people are willing to pay the price for Copper River. There is really nothing like having the first catch of wild salmon! It was a tradition on my dad's boat to eat the first salmon we pulled in. Dad would fry it up right there on the boat and we always savored the smell and taste of every bite.

The Copper River is just one of the areas in Alaska where wild salmon is caught. And the fish aren't actually caught in the Copper River but out in the Gulf of Alaska. The fish are on their way into the Copper River to spawn. There are hundreds of rivers where the fish run to spawn, but all of the fish is caught out in the ocean.

Understandably, people regularly get confused with the labeling of wild salmon. Here are a few facts to help you sort it out:

1) If a wild Alaskan salmon is titled by a river name, such as Copper River salmon or Kenai River salmon, it means that the fish was caught out in the ocean on their way to spawn in that river. If you hear of another location such as Bristol Bay, Cook Inlet, Prince William Sound, or the Gulf of Alaska, etc - that is simply the name of the water where the fish was caught.

2) There are five different species of salmon that run into the rivers. King (chinook), Sockeye (reds), Coho (silver), Pinks (humpies), and Chum (dogs). The most flavorful of fish and that which is most likely to be at your local market or restaurant is King and Sockeye salmon. Occasionally you will see Coho salmon in the fall months.

3) You may have heard of Steelhead salmon, but it is a trout, very similar to rainbow trout. Still a great fish, but not in the salmon species.

4) King and Sockeye salmon typically run together with sockeye salmon running a little earlier. Coho's run later in the fall. Pinks and Chum run mixed with king and sockeye salmon but are generally used for canning or smoking.

Any questions? Send me an email to sara@seabeef.com

ORDER YOUR COPPER RIVER SALMON TODAY!

Macadamia Nut Crusted Salmon Fillets with Mango Salsa

2010-04-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

When I was in my early 20's, I worked as a waitress off and on over several years at Through the Seasons, which was a fabulous restaurant in Soldotna, Alaska. Known for its excellent food, it was extremely popular with the tourists and locals alike. There were some nights where we were so packed we just had to close the doors. There was no room to put the people who were waiting for dinner, and the wait was so long anyway, we would have been there till 3am in the morning serving everyone.

It was owned by a great lady who is still a dear friend, Gerri Litzenberger.
Gerri was THE chef at Through the Seasons and was a very talented one at that! She was way ahead of her time caring about every detail on her menu. Everything was fresh and of pristine quality. She grew all the herbs she cooked with and was always coming up with a great new dish. Everything was made from scratch. I remember she refused to have a microwave in the kitchen. She didn't believe in them - no reheating - just made it fresh every time.

Gerri is a vegetarian herself, but she can grill a perfect steak or make a fabulous chicken or seafood dish that would blow you away. She makes the BEST BEST BEST bread and cheesecakes. Customers regularly ordered her whole cheesecakes to go. She could have easily opened a bakery. Besides her breads, she made this incredible bread pudding, chocolate mousse, and white chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce! Oh, and her fettuccine alfredo - TO DIE FOR!!! She made the pasta fresh every day and when she'd toss some wild alaskan smoked salmon in her alfredo sauce? Heaven - pure heaven. She always made the staff dinner every night and her fettuccine alfredo was always a favorite dish of mine. (I'm getting hungry just remembering how great her food was!)

It was a happy place at her restaurant. Working at Through the Seasons was like therapy for me. Gerri saw me through a LOT of ups and downs in my life. Not only was she a great chef, she was a great friend who lent her ear and offered sound advice. Plus, that's where I first learned about wines and became a serious fan.

Gerri is still living well in Soldotna. She's a passionate runner and has an infectious laugh. If you're lucky enough, maybe you'll see her running around the Kenai Peninsula somewhere if you ever visit Alaska. Just a terrific lady - can't say enough good about her.

Gerri sold her restaurant after deciding she wanted her life back after investing probably 15 years of her life there (can't remember exactly - could be longer). Soldotna hasn't had anything close to the quality of Through the Seasons since. But there's only so much blood sweat and tears a person can put out on a daily basis.

Anyway, enough gushing (although I really could go on). I asked Gerri to share this recipe from her restaurant. It's wild salmon like you've never had before - called Macadamia Nut Crusted Wild Salmon and soon to become a favorite. Here it is:

Through The Seasons Restaurant
Macadamia Nut Crusted Salmon Fillets with Mango Salsa

4 wild Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets

1 C. macadamia nuts
1 C. sourdough bread crumbs
1 egg
2 T. milk (or water)

3 T. butter

Toast macadamia nuts in 350 degree oven until golden. Cool completely.
Process macadamia nuts in food processor with bread crumbs, pulsing to a medium chop.

Whisk egg with milk (or water).

Dredge salmon fillets in egg mixture then coat both side with nut mixture, pressing the crumbs onto the fillet.

Melt butter in large sauté pan. Sauté nut crusted fillets until golden brown on each side.
Transfer fillets to baking tray and bake in 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

Mango Salsa

2 to 3 large mangoes, diced
½ diced red onion
¼ c. chopped cilantro
Juice of one lime
2 t. brown sugar
2 t. balsamic vinegar
1 diced jalapeño pepper

Mix ingredients and serve with Macadamia Nut Crusted Salmon Fillets.

ENJOY!

*****SAVE $2lb on Wild Sockeye Salmon today! Enter Coupon Code GERRI at www.SEABEEF.com to receive your discount!******

Is your seafood SAFE???

2010-03-31T13:57:00.001-08:00

My advice: STICK TO WILD ALASKAN SEAFOOD and all will be well...

Stick to hockey!

2010-03-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

My husband and I had dinner with friends at Cioppino, a restaurant in Pittsburgh that buys our wild Alaskan salmon during the summer months and whose chef, Greg Alauzen, has become a great friend over the years. Greg had actually broken his leg so was allowing his sous-chef to do most of the cooking last night.

The staff at Cioppino has come to know us well and always does a great job to ensure we are being taken care of. The restaurant was packed and all was going well until the sous-chef sent out an extra course for us to enjoy before the main course. His selection? You guessed it, farmed salmon.

I could not believe it. I looked at our plates and said, "This is farmed salmon isn't it?" It was more of a statement than a question as I know Greg - he only serves fish that is in season so wild is currently out right now. Our waiter admitted that it was indeed farmed salmon. I said to my husband, "Is Greg deliberately trying to insult me? What the heck is he thinking sending this out?" Our waiter nervously chuckled, apologized, took back our plates, and explained that Greg was not in the kitchen but told me where I could find him.

I grabbed my wine glass and walked over to the bar where Greg was sitting. He was in conversation and sharing a bottle of wine with a guy who Greg introduced to me as "Dave" (not real name). I chatted with them for a couple minutes, made some small talk, chatted about the Mario Lemieux wine they were drinking, and the wine I was drinking. Once I decided enough niceties had been said, I started into my tirade with Greg about the farmed salmon being sent out to our table. Before Greg could even respond, Dave interrupted to tell me that he also lived up north and he also loved wild salmon, how he just loved to fish, and how wild salmon is all he ate in British Columbia.

As cute as Dave was, his last comment bothered me a bit because I realized I was talking to a guy across from me who was treading on some sacred ground for me and he was wanting to argue his point. I've done LOADS of research into farmed salmon and happen to know Canada is one of the leading consumers in the world of farmed salmon. I asked Dave if the salmon he ate really was wild Alaskan salmon - "No" he said, "wild salmon from British Columbia". Just as I suspected...

I realize Dave meant well by his comment as Canada used to have a thriving wild salmon industry and all Canadians long for the days when their wild salmon population was healthy. However, since the huge increase of salmon farms along the coastlines of British Columbia, Canada's wild salmon fishery is practically non-existent and the scant population of wild salmon they have left is most assuredly infected with the toxins and sea lice from the neighboring fish farms. That is why when people say there is wild salmon in Canada, I just cringe. There SHOULD be, but unfortunately due to very bad decisions by the Canadian government, the wild salmon industry in Canada had been severely and deeply wounded.

Atlantic salmon are raised in large, open net pens along the coast of British Columbia. The fish farms are located next to major juvenile salmon migration routes leading to the interior of the Province. The concentrations of fish forced together by fish farming attract clouds numbering in billions of parasitic sea lice. In the wild, juvenile salmon rarely mingle with adult fish that carry the parasites but young salmon swimming past fish farms can't help but come into contact with sea lice. It only takes one or two of these parasites to kill a juvenile salmon. Fish farms kill 95% of the wild juvenile salmon that pass by them coming from their natal streams. 1

To combat the sea lice problem, fish farms companies in Canada are using a pesticide called SLICE - a product that has not been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and only recently was quietly approved by Health Canada in June 2009 based on a study done by the manufacturers of SLICE. Not only does SLICE lose it's effectiveness overtime, it is a pesticide that affects all sea life. According to the manufacturers safety data, it says "very toxic to aquatic organisms and may cause long-term adverse effects in the environment." MORE ON SLICE

Dave continued his cheerful but ignorant conversation to me about how he thought the kings (chinook) salmon and the coho salmon were farmed but the sockeye was really wild. (and how can that be, Matt, since they all run together out in the wild?) He told me how he fished wild salmon in the lakes up in Canada when he was a kid and how great it was. I challenged Matt and asked him how wild salmon can possibly live in lakes which he didn't have an answer for. Plus I told him that the risk of people are taking of getting poisoned when they eat Canada's "wild salmon" is incredibly high due to Canada's fish farms.

You see, the loss of the wild salmon fishery is a HUGE problem for Canada. A new documentary shows how current practices used by the evil Norwegian-owned companies operating in Canadian waters continue to threaten wild salmon and the iconic species that feed on them - including grizzly bears, bald eagles and killer whales. The film, "Dear Norway: Help Save Canada's Wild Salmon," also features testimonies from local scientists, fishermen and First Nations chiefs detailing the dangers posed by open-net fish farms to British Columbia's biologically diverse ecosystems. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS SHORT FILM

I felt my blood pressure rising as Dave was talking his nonsense. I hate talking to nice people who think they know stuff when they really don't and I wasn't really in the mood to argue with him. Plus, he was kind of cute and he was Greg's friend and I didn't want to insult him. I can sometimes kind of be a snooty "know it all" about salmon and I have to catch myself from laying into unsuspecting, kind-meaning folks - especially friends of a good friend like Greg.

I finished our conversation by explaining to Dave that I was having a great evening and didn't want to ruin a perfectly good night for anyone arguing with him about Canada's fishing industry. Greg assured me he would yell at the sous chef for sending out the farmed salmon and I went back to our table slightly agitated but happy I didn't get into a silly argument.

My husband and friends were anxious to know how my conversation went so I told them about Greg's friend who thought he was some sort of salmon genius and how I had to leave before I got overly irritated.

We finished our dinner (I had wild Alaskan halibut which, by the way, was fabulous) and were headed back to the bar to have a drink with Greg. While my husband and friends were haggling over the bill I walked back to the bar to talk more with Greg and saw that Dave was still sitting there with him. This time he introduced himself to me as a professional hockey player with -. As Dave took out his fake front tooth I just laughed and said "Hey, you stick to hockey and let me stick to fish. I don't want to have to duke it out with you over salmon!"

My husband and friends came over to the bar and was introduced to Dave whom my husband immediately recognized. Dave has recently been in the newspaper because he had knocked out another hockey player just a couple weeks ago. Our conversation then turned to everyone joking about how Dave and I should best both just stick to what we know lest we got too impassioned and wanted to fight. Silly, I know, but my feisty and competitive nature did make me really want to set him straight.

Poor guy. I realize I really have turned into a salmon snob - unafraid to take on even a formidable professional hockey player. I guess this is something my friends will have to tolerate about me but hopefully they know it's just for the best. I'm only impassioned because I care about their health and the future of our planet! I seriously pray it rubs off on them - we should all be concerned about these things.

So thanks for the conversation Dave - I didn't even get your autograph.

For a great dinner in Pittsburgh, you can't go wrong at Cioppino. Located in the Strip District in Pittsburgh, PA.

To order your own awesome, healthy and sustainable wild Alaskan salmon go to our website and have it shipped directly to your home or place of business. WILD ALASKAN SALMON COMPANY

A Failure to Communicate

2010-03-14T09:02:00.001-08:00

Last night I had a late dinner with friends in Pittsburgh. My girlfriend, whom I adore, completely shocked me when she ordered the farmed salmon for dinner. I looked at her in absolute amazement and said, "Really? You're gonna order farmed salmon right in front of me?" She and her husband just smiled as I explained how this "healthy fish choice" she thought she was having was totally toxic and horrible for our planet. They both just chuckled at my impassioned speech like I was a sweet naive child who had just told them I had monsters living in my closet.

I sat back in my chair and pondered this sad reality. My friends, even those closest to me, really don't believe that farmed salmon is that bad for them or the environment. In fact, they believe it's still a healthy food choice! I literally felt sick as I watched her eat the gross mass of pinkish flesh on her plate and wondered how it was that my anti-farmed salmon evangelism hadn't completely transformed her. I was depressed and sort of sulked through the rest of dinner thinking about that famous line in Cool Hand Luke - "What we have here is a failure to communicate!" Ya, no kidding...

But yesterday's gone and today I woke up renewed in my zeal to educate the world of the dangers of farmed salmon. However, I also knew it was time to take off the gloves if I was going to be taken seriously. I needed some cold hard facts to get people to wake up to the truth. So here goes...

Open net-cage salmon farming is currently one of the most harmful aquaculture production systems and poses environmental threats in all regions it is practiced. However, in order not to overwhelm you with too much in one day, let me just discuss one specific environmental threat of salmon farming - Sea Lice.

SEA LICE HURTS WILD SALMON
Sea lice from salmon farms are one of the most significant threats facing wild salmon in British Columbia. Although sea lice occur naturally, lice infestations have only recently put wild salmon populations at risk. In the spring, fish eggs hatch and juvenile salmon emerge from the rivers and make their way to the ocean estuaries and bays. It is primarily when young salmon fry migrate past salmon farms that they encounter large concentrations of sea lice. When these large concentrations of lice attach themselves to juveniles, their bodies may not be able to cope, and they may die. Fish farms are typically located in sheltered bays and inlets near rivers on or near the migratory routes juvenile salmon use to reach the open ocean.1

Fish farms are ideal breeding grounds for sea lice due to the high density of stocked fish as well as the increased susceptibility of fish to sea lice resulting from the stress of confined quarters. There are many types of sea lice that infect different types of fish including salmon, cod, haddock, trout, halibut, flounder and wrasse. However, the effect of sea lice on salmon is the only area that has been studied at large, likely resulting from the huge detrimental effect that the lice have had on numerous salmon aquaculture efforts.2

SEA LICE CAN KILL US!
Duke University did a detailed study of the harmful effects of sea lice and included this frightening news in their report:
Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA) ISA (aka hemorrhagic kidney syndrome) is a lethal disease of Atlantic salmon caused by an orthomyxovirus. Transmission occurs by direct contact, through parts from infected fish (mucus, blood, viscera, trimming, feces), contact with equipment contaminated with parts from infected fish, people who handled infected fish, and sea lice. Symptoms of ISA include lethargy, swelling and hemorrhaging in the kidney and other organs, protruding eyes, pale gills, darkening of the posterior gut, and swelling of the spleen. Mortality is highly variable and can be from 2 - 50% over one production cycle. It is suspected that the first case of ISA in the US, in Cobscook Bay, Maine, in 2001 was transferred from pens 3 miles away in New Brunswick, Canada, found to be infested in 1999. In response to the outbreak in Cobscook Bay, 1.5 million fish were slaughtered in hopes of containing the virus as ordered by the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Health Plant Inspection Service.3

Scary? It should be! And I've only just gotten started. Fish farms are PLAGUED with sea lice and that same fish is what is being served in our restaurant across the world. To make matters even worse, these fish farmers are feeding the caged fish antibiotics, hormones, and other nasty stuff which falls onto the sea bottom and destroys all life living there.

More hard facts to come regarding the health and environmental hazards of fish farms. In the meantime, be friendly to your heart and the environment - Order wild Alaskan salmon today at www.SEABEEF.com!

Farmed Salmon Exposed

2010-03-07T13:33:00.000-09:00

When I was a goddess...

2010-02-25T16:43:00.000-09:00

When I was still in the process of wooing my boyfriend who was visiting Alaska for his first time in the summer, one of the things I took him to do was to go camping. I wanted him to see Alaska's beauty and to see the rivers that were full of wild salmon. There are few things more exciting to an Alaskan than to see the rivers thick with fish. It's like looking in your pantry and seeing it full of yummy food - there's just something wonderfully comforting about that. Even more, it brings out an animalistic behavior in a person to see Alaskan wild-life up close and personal. It just makes you hungry for life!

Anyway, I remember that day vividly because earlier that morning we were at a small diner in Hope, Alaska watching our President from Hope, Arkansas - Bill Clinton, defend himself on TV regarding his affair with Lewinsky. Weird, but there we were in Hope, Alaska on the same day of Clinton's embarrassing news blast, staring at a river filled with fish so thick we could have walked across their backs to get across the other side of the river.

I was standing with my feet in the water, about 15 yards in front of my boyfriend who was sheepishly staring down from the river bank. I looked back at him and noticed his look of awe and amazement at what he was seeing and realized I had a true Cheechako (our friendly Alaskan term for idiot) on my hands. Being the constant antagonist, I knew I had an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I looked back at him on the bluff and said, "Hey, you wanna see how an Alaskan girl catches a fish?" Before he could answer, I dramatically thrust my arm deep in the water, grabbed a salmon and held it up high and proud in the air as it flopped wildly around. By looking at his face you would have thought he had just seen his first Playboy centerfold or at least shot his first bull moose - TOTALLY overwhelmed and dizzy with awe. I knew he was hooked.

But even I couldn't take all the fawning and goddess-like attributes he was thinking about me without feeling guilty so, I showed him my trick. The reason the river was so thick was because all the fish were spawning - laying their eggs and getting ready to die. When a fish is spawning, the flesh gets all mushy and their eyes fall out and they just look really gross. Someone standing a few feet back wouldn't notice this, but someone as close as I was could easily see that they were half-dead. I knew that the fish wouldn't put up a fight, but he didn't. Feeling a little guilty, like I had taken advantage of a child, I invited him down to the river and showed him how to "catch a fish" Alaskan-style himself. Now he knows my secret - no more mystery and no more being in awe of his girlfriend. Oh well... (I should have never showed him.)

This story is a simple reminder to me of what Alaskan's instinctively know and sometimes take for granted. Alaska is WILD. The whole state is filled with awesome and breathtaking scenery - mountain ranges that will take your breath away, bull moose that stand 8 feet tall, grizzly bears and black bears, bald eagles, orca whales, beluga whales, sea otters, walruses, puffins, seals, and the overwhelming bounty of fish and shellfish in our pristine oceans. Everything is Alaska runs wild and free - even its people walk with a different air of freedom and independence. Surviving an Alaskan winter is no easy task yet we do it because it's part of who we are and the reminder of the beautiful summers makes living through the cold months worth it.

Wild salmon in Alaska is like a religion. We DON'T EAT FARMED SALMON. We don't even consider farmed salmon to BE salmon. In fact, it's not. It's a different species of fish (almo Salar, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) made to look like wild salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka). Filled with hormones, antibiotics, and dye to turn its flesh into some sickly pink color - totally gross, terrible on the environment and really bad for our health. Click here to read more about the dangers of farmed salmon.

In my upcoming blogs, I will be talking about the dangers of eating farmed salmon and the devastating impacts fish farms have on our environment. We must be responsible for our own health, our planet and our future generations. JUST SAY NO TO FARMED SALMON and you're off to a good start!

Go Wild!

www.SEABEEF.com

“My Restaurant Will Never Serve Atlantic Salmon” Says Chef Marcus Guiliano Of Aroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville, New York

2010-02-08T17:48:00.000-09:00

“My Restaurant Will Never Serve Atlantic Salmon” Says Chef Marcus Guiliano Of Aroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville, New York

“It’s farmed salmon, and that’s unhealthy salmon. It’s caged, it’s fed dye and anti-biotics. I will never use it.”

Aroma Thyme Bistro, Chef Marcus’s restaurant in the Catskills, serves only wild Pacific Salmon, primarily Alaskan Salmon.

“It’s a lot of work, just getting the fish, but it’s worth it. We follow the rivers, and we switch back and forth between the top Salmon as the season progresses. That means King Salmon whenever possible, and Coho and Sockeye now and then.”

The best areas?

“Yukon River. When a fish has to swim 2,300 miles to spawn that’s a mighty fish. Before they set off up the river those salmon build themselves up. They feed on krill and small fish until they’re in tip-top condition, and then they charge up that river. We also look for Taku, Stikine, Copper and other river run fish as well as ocean caught from Kenai, Kodiak, Sitka and the Cook Inlet.”

The result?

“That’s the best tasting salmon there is. There’s no comparison with the farmed stuff. The texture is incredible, the flavor is fantastic.”

Click here for more...

_______________________________________________________________

Need I say more? Our fish is from the Copper River and the Cook Inlet. Order online today at www.SEABEEF.com!