Farmed Salmon

bradan_feasa

I have noticed that it is impossible to buy fresh irish salmon in any retailer. Invariably, although labelled with a local brand or supermarket own brand, it is farmed in Scotland. Are there no longer any salmon farms in Ireland ?

nuckeythompson

not sure where they are sold

http://www.marineharvestireland.com/

Layinghen

Farmed salmon from Ireland should be available from your local fishmonger.

Whereabouts are you based and somebody may be able to advise a good fishmonger near you?

Sam Kade

Isn't farmed salmon very bad for your health?

The Hill Billy

If it was "very bad for your health" it would not be sold for human consumption.

Sam Kade

The Hill Billy wrote: »

If it was "very bad for your health" it would not be sold for human consumption.

Really, cigarettes are bad for your health but they still sell them.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/09/farmed-salmon-dangers.aspx

Wolfhillbilly

http://www.glenarmorganicsalmon.com/

The Hill Billy

Sam Kade wrote: »

Really, cigarettes are bad for your health but they still sell them.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/07/09/farmed-salmon-dangers.aspx

We are talking about food - not recreational substances.

And as for the liked article, well, the internet is full of sites like that.

For example, "She claims the type of contaminants detected in farmed salmon have a negative effect on brain development and is associated with autism, ADD / ADHD and reduced IQ. They can also affect your immune system and metabolism."

When she publishes a paper in a scientific journal of repute where she proves it - then you'll have my interest.

Sam Kade

The Hill Billy wrote: »

We are talking about food - not recreational substances.

And as for the liked article, well, the internet is full of sites like that.

For example, "She claims the type of contaminants detected in farmed salmon have a negative effect on brain development and is associated with autism, ADD / ADHD and reduced IQ. They can also affect your immune system and metabolism."

When she publishes a paper in a scientific journal of repute where she proves it - then you'll have my interest.

Why not show some proof that it isn't bad for your health rather than use that link proves nothing argument?

Jawgap

Supervalu normally do farmed Irish salmon.

As for the whole debate about it's healthiness - yes, it is good for you and in some ways it's better than wild salmon.

Wild salmon because it feeds across a wider range of sources can have marginally higher levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as well as certain radio-isotopes - but even if you ate the fish every day for 40 years you still wouldn't even come remotely close to incurring an unsafe dose.

The feed for farmed fish is more consistent and better controlled. There was an issue a few years ago around the use of dyes in the feed (necessary to colour the flesh of the farmed fish) but the dye in question has since been discontinued in favour of more natural substances that more closely resemble the colouring substances the fish would naturally pick up from feeding on crustacea.

The nutritional profile of the fish can also vary because wild salmon are more active and have a harder life - but the variance from a human health point of view is not significant as it generally relates to changes in the ratios of the different types of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are all pretty much beneficial to health.

As for the whole environmental, political, economic and social aspects of fish farming - I'll leave that for someone else!

Jawgap

Some info here

Dioxins, Furans and PCBs in Farmed and Wild Salmon, Farmed Trout and Fish Oil Capsules

(the 'limit' referred to is the EU limit for dioxins)

The dioxin levels found in Irish wild salmon were on average less than 10% of this limit.

The dioxin levels found in Irish farmed salmon were on average less than 25% of this limit.

The dioxin levels found in Irish farmed trout were on average less than 10% of this limit.