• Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
Press "Enter" to search
Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
  • Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  1. Home
  2. Diet & Nutrition
  3. Food Safety

Safe, Sustainable Farmed Salmon?

What can you tell me about the new sustainable farmed salmon? Is it really a safe alternative to ordinary farmed salmon? 

Andrew Weil, M.D. | March 4, 2010

Safe, Sustainable Farmed Salmon?
2 min

You’re referring to a specific method for farming Pacific coho salmon that was approved in January 2010 by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood WATCH program. (Seafood WATCH is the aquarium’s effort to raise awareness of the link between the seafood we eat and the health of the oceans.)

A little background on farmed salmon: almost all salmon served today is farmed ("Atlantic salmon"), which has less flavor, less protein, and more fat than wild salmon, and its health promoting ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids may not be as favorable as in wild fish. It likely also contains residues of pesticides, antibiotics and other drugs used to control diseases that occur when fish are crowded together in the open-net pens of fish farms. Those diseases may escape and decimate wild populations of salmon. Moreover, it takes several pounds of feed fish to produce one pound of salmon. The net result is greatly accelerated depletion of the numbers of fish in the oceans. That is why I have recommended choosing wild Alaskan salmon. It tastes better, is more nutritious than farmed Atlantic salmon, and eating it does not have the environmental impact or health consequences of relying on farmed salmon.

The news that Seafood WATCH has approved the new salmon farming technique is certainly welcome. I understand that this action followed several months of investigation by scientists who inspected the production facilities and reviewed feed ratios, fish contaminant and pollution discharge levels at the salmon farms. Seafood WATCH explained that the new farming methods contain the fish and water in closed systems, such as tanks, rather than releasing them into the environment. In addition, the use of disease-free source water and strict security protocols "minimize the spread of disease to the wild" and "impact the environment less than open net pens." Its approval of the farming method means that the salmon from these new farms will be assigned a green "best choice" rating on the Seafood WATCH website and pocket guide to ocean-friendly seafood.

In order to be accorded the "best choice" designation, the salmon itself must provide the daily minimum of omega-3 fatty acids (at least 250 milligrams per day) based on 28 grams of fish and have levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels under 11 parts per billion. Limited supplies of the new farmed salmon are scheduled to be introduced in the Pacific Northwest this year. Although my personal favorite is still wild Alaskan salmon, I checked to see how the new tank farmed salmon will be priced, and found that this has not yet been determined.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

More information about Seafood WATCH.

Advertisement
Related Weil Products

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging - Your Anti-Inflammatory Diet Source

Want to promote overall health and help minimize the risk of inflammatory diseases? Join Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging, your online guide to the anti-inflammatory diet. Start your 14-day free trial now for access to shopping and eating guides, hundreds of recipes, an exclusive version of Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid and more!
Get Started
Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

bread loaves
Food Safety

A Carcinogen in Your Bread?

Raw salmon fish steaks with fresh herbs on cutting board
Food Safety

Alaskan Salmon From China?

Buyer chooses minced meat in a store
Food Safety

Ammonia in Ground Beef?

Free range chicken on an organic farm in Austria; Freilandhühner auf einem Bauernhof in Oberösterreich
Food Safety

Antibiotics and Arsenic in Chickens?

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Dr. Weil's Signature

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

© Copyright 2025 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com