Why Is Salmon So Expensive 7 Solid Reasons Youre Paying Extra
Salmon is a fish that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids. It is also very healthy and low in calories. Salmon is a good source of protein and contains essential minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamin D. It is also a great source of B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
The price for salmon varies depending on the type you buy. Wild-caught Alaskan sockeye or Chinook are considered to be among the best quality because they have not been exposed to pollutants from other species. They can cost anywhere between $10-$20 per pound. Farmed Atlantic salmon costs less than wild-caught but still has high levels of contaminants.
Salmon is one of the most delectable forms of seafood available. It’s also incredibly easy to prepare and consume because there are no tiny bones to pick out of your teeth. Despite its expensive cost, salmon is one of the greatest fish options for anybody seeking to consume fish, both in terms of flavor and simplicity of preparation.
But, why is salmon so costly? Salmon may be expensive, whether it’s tinned, smoked, filleted, or just put to a salad. For many individuals, this can be a concern, but it might also reveal more about the condition of the salmon business in general. Let’s take a closer look at why a salmon fillet costs so much.
Why Is Salmon So Expensive?
Salmon has grown prohibitively costly in recent decades as a result of overfishing, increased demand for salmon flesh, and the fact that salmon is a keystone species that must be protected. This presents a significant problem: how can salmon be consumed without depleting the natural population?
The easiest solution is to farm salmon, however, this has resulted in a larger problem. Demand has risen even higher, and more salmon is now farmed, resulting in overcrowded metal cages that contaminate coastal waterways and exacerbate disease and parasite outbreaks. As a result, a large part of the salmon population dies, resulting in lower yields.
Salmon has been around for thousands of years. It was first discovered in the Pacific Ocean and was used by Native Americans for food and medicine. In fact, salmon was even considered sacred by the ancient Greeks.
Today, salmon is one of the most popular fish species in the world. It is also one of the healthiest fish species out there. Salmon contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
However, despite its popularity, salmon remains one of the most expensive seafood items on the market. Why is that?
The wild salmon is superior, but it is quite difficult to obtain.
In order to make sure that we don’t run into any problems with our supply chain, we need to ensure that we only eat sustainable sources of salmon. Unfortunately, catching wild salmon isnât an easy task. The ocean currents mean that salmon tend to migrate long distances before returning home to spawn. That means that if you want to find them, you’ll need to go fishing.
This makes finding wild salmon extremely hard. If you do manage to locate some, then you will likely face competition from commercial fishermen who troll their way through the waters looking for the same prey. This results in fewer salmon being caught each year. According to NOAA Fisheries, the number of salmon harvested worldwide fell by nearly 50 percent between 1970 and 2010.
As a result, prices skyrocket when supplies become scarce. When buying salmon, you’ll find that wild salmon is usually more expensive than farmed salmon. Although you won’t notice much of a change in color, you will notice a difference in taste and fat content. Because farmed salmon does not exert as much energy as wild salmon, it might easily have a greater fat content.
Overfishing is prevented by legislation, which is a vital precaution, but salmon habitats still have to contend with poaching. This law prohibits the use of nets, so you’ll have to catch salmon the old-fashioned, slow way: with a fishing rod and bait. This is a sluggish catch, and only a few businesses may employ tiny nets for a limited time in order to catch more fish. Even yet, such licenses are expensive to get, and there is a lot of competition.
Salmon are a keystone species
A keystone species is defined as "an animal or plant whose presence greatly influences other animals or plants."
Keystone species play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystems because they provide services like pollination, seed dispersal, pest control, nutrient cycling, and habitat creation. They can be found throughout all environments, including deserts, rainforests, grasslands, oceans, and wetlands.
When humans began farming salmon, they inadvertently created another type of ecosystem called aquaculture. Aquacultures are farms where aquatic life is raised commercially. These farms often require large amounts of water, feed, space, and labor. As a result, these farms compete directly with natural fisheries for food resources. In addition, many farmers overfish their own stocks, causing further depletion.
Because of this, salmon populations decline rapidly. Salmon are essential for the survival of the area’s wildlife and vegetation, which ties into the first reason. Salmon are found all across the world, and they are essential in every culture. They hatch in a river and make their way to the sea, only to return and lay their eggs in the same river.
Bears capture fish and transport them into the woods, where the carcasses supply nitrogen and nutrients to the plants. You might be wondering how much salmon a bear can actually capture to make an effect. Bears may apparently leave up to 4 tonnes of salmon carcasses each acre.
Salmon is a rich source of Omega 3, 6, and 9
Omega fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that help your body produce hormones, regulate blood pressure, maintain healthy skin, and keep eyes clear.
The three most important types of omega fatty acids are DHA, EPA, and ALA. Of those, DHA and EPA are considered essential fatty acids; meaning we need them to survive. However, ALA isnât necessary unless our bodies cannot synthesize enough DHA and EPA on their own.
Salmon is a great source of Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. They help with cholesterol levels, heart health, circulation difficulties, and cognitive problems. In a nutshell, it’s really helpful and in high demand. Omega 3, 6, and 9 are abundant in salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, chia seeds, walnuts, and flaxseeds. But, of all of these, salmon is the most popular. Fish oil, which is derived from fish meals, is where the Omega comes from. If you’re not familiar with the term, it refers to dried fish bones, fins, heads, and leftovers that are crushed into a powder.
The demand for salmon is continuously growing.
According to The World Bank, global seafood consumption has increased by more than 50 percent since 1970. This increase is due largely to rising incomes around the globe.
It also coincides with the rise of fast-food restaurants, which have become increasingly common. Fast foods tend to contain less expensive protein sources such as chicken and beef instead of seafood. Demand has grown as salmon farms have increased the amount of accessible salmon stock. The demand for salmon will remain high as long as customers realize that it can be delivered to the table at a premium price.
This raises the price of salmon even more, as producers compete to create the best salmon that is both inexpensive for the customer and profitable for the producer. When it comes to restaurants and places that prepare fish for you, the price will always be at least double what they spent for the raw fish. Besides, salmon is seen as a nutritious and refined meal, so there will always be a markup, even if the overall price of salmon falls.
The upkeep of salmon farms is costly.
When it comes to raising salmon, farmers must take care of many things. For example, they must ensure that the water temperature remains constant throughout the year. It should stay between 65°F and 75°F.
They must provide food for the fish, including algae or other forms of plankton. These organisms feed off waste products produced by bacteria living in the ocean. Without them, the fish would starve. There’s also the fact that salmon farms are built near the ocean’s edge, in cages with a lot of fish. The farms allow 8-18 kg of salmon per cubic meter on average. In a cubic meter of water, there are 2-5 harvest-ready fish. There isn’t much room. And, since there are so many fish in such a tiny place, they need to eat a lot, which means there will be a lot of fish feces.
Said trash just falls to the ocean floor at a pace and volume greater than the currents and water can clean up, resulting in contaminated waterways and a high illness rate (more on that later).
Disease and parasites are common in farmed salmon.
In addition to being crowded together, farmed salmon are often exposed to diseases and parasites.
Parasites include sea lice, which live inside their skin and cause irritation; gill worms, which infect the gills and make breathing difficult; and intestinal worms, which enter through the mouth and travel down the digestive tract. All three types of parasites affect wild salmon populations too, but because they don’t get treated, they aren’t nearly as prevalent.
We’ll be left with salmon that is ill or infected with parasites more often than not until all salmon farms utilize copper alloy nets and cages. A deep freeze and/or high heat, which are required to cook the salmon, kills the majority of the eggs and germs.
This danger is still quite significant for individuals who prefer salmon raw, such as for sushi. To be honest, the quality of sushi and sashimi-grade salmon differs, however some restaurants may opt to save money by using ordinary grocery salmon.
Thereâs an entire supply chain that drives prices up
Salmon farming has been around for over 100 years now. But only recently have we begun seeing large-scale commercial operations. Before this time, most salmon were raised in small family-owned facilities.
This meant that the cost of production was kept low. However, when these smaller companies began growing larger, costs rose dramatically. As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest factors driving up the price of salmon is competition among suppliers. On top of everything else, there’s the supply chain to consider. We all know there is a supply chain for everything, but seafood is famously costly because of the cost from sea to plate.
Conclusion
The demand for salmon continues to rise, especially due to its health benefits. This makes sense considering how healthy people tend to be. If you want to enjoy your favorite foods without worrying about what they contain, then look no further than salmon!