What do I eat?

Let your diet follow nature’s lead.

Eating in harmony with nature means weighing what you crave against what's in season, what's locally available and what's abundant. The good news: The menu is still full of delicious options.

01 · Lower on the food chain

Small fish. 
Outsized nutrition.

Bivalves are an excellent, nutrient-dense swap. And so are small, oily fish when sustainably sourced (think small vessels using traditional methods that reduce bycatch). Because these fish have short lifespans and primarily eat plankton, they tend not to build up the concentrations of heavy metals that can be found in larger fish.

EXAMPLES

Mussels • Clams • Oysters • Sardines
Anchovies • Mackerel • Herring

Mussels • Clams • Oysters • Sardines • Anchovies • Mackerel • Herring

02 · Think global and eat local

Wild-caught & locally sourced

Ask your local seafood market about seasonal catches and well-managed fisheries in your region.

EXAMPLES

Wild Pacific Salmon • Seasonal Local Catch

03 · Plant-based

Plants pack a nutritional punch.

Seeds, nuts and algae-based foods are nutrient-dense options that contribute vitamins, minerals and plant-source omega-3s (ALA). Algae oil, meanwhile, is a direct source of EPA and DHA. Talk to your healthcare provider about what's right for you.

EXAMPLES

Flaxseed   •   Chia Seeds   •   Walnuts  •   Edamame
Algae Oil   •   Seaweed   •   Hemp  •   Seeds
Tempeh   •   Tofu

Flaxseed • Chia Seeds • Walnuts • Edamame • Algae Oil • Seaweed • Hemp Seeds • Tempeh • Tofu

04 · Ask the expert

Let your chef recommend a swap worth savoring.

The chefs who've taken ocean-farmed salmon off their menus have worked hard to educate themselves on what to serve instead. Let their good taste help shape yours.

EXAMPLES

Explore our chef directory

05 · Land-raised salmon*

Out of the water but not out of the woods.

Raising salmon on land in closed containment systems, also known as Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), may address some of the worst aspects of sea cages: fish escapes, sea lice and marine pollution. Worth knowing: The industry is still scaling and developing its technology. Unresolved issues remain around animal welfare, feed sustainability, responsible waste treatment and the high environmental (or carbon) cost of operating the systems around the clock.

Worth knowing

The industry is still scaling and improving its technology. Unresolved issues remain around animal welfare, feed sustainability, responsible waste treatment and the high cost of operating the systems around the clock.

* Positions on alternative salmon production systems reflect local context and do not represent the policy position of WildFish or the global Off The Table campaign. This is not an alternatives campaign, as our goal is to protect wild salmon.

Finally

Don’t fall for labels hook, line and sinker.

Look past the label and ask how the fish was raised. "Ocean-raised" doesn't mean a fish is healthy or good for the environment. "Responsibly - raised" isn't legally defined and can mean very different things from one producer to the next. “Organic” may lead consumers to believe fish are raised without chemical treatments, but European regulations allow for the use of pesticides to kill sea lice, and the USDA has no standard for organic salmon farming. Finally, be wary of menu descriptions of farmed salmon that lean on the reputation of pristine places like Chile, Iceland or the Faroe Islands. If it's ocean-farmed, it doesn't deserve a place on your plate.

When in doubt, leave it out.

you must be hungry for more.

Now that you've perused the tempting menu of alternatives, join the chefs, foodies and home cooks who've taken ocean-farmed salmon off their tables.

Take the pledge

Positions on alternative salmon production systems reflect local context and do not represent the policy position of WildFish or the global Off The Table campaign. This is not an alternatives campaign, as our goal is to protect wild salmon.

Make room on your plate for food that's better for you and the ocean.

Let your diet follow nature’s lead.

01 · Lower on the food chain

Small fish. Outsized nutrition.

Wild-caught & locally sourced

03 · Plant-based

Plants pack a nutritional punch.

04 · Ask the expert

Let your chef recommend a swap worth savoring.

05 · Land-raised salmon*

Out of the water but not out of the woods.

When in doubt, leave it out.

Small fish. 
Outsized nutrition.