Farming
Concepts
Extend to the Deep, Blue, Sea
Salmon
has been a nutritious staple of human consumption for
eons and has also been versatile enough to actually
be a fundamental economic resource for communities dating
back to tribal barter systems. Not much has change in
thousands of years, only the scale of influence has
gotten worldwide. Alaska fishing communities rely on
commercially caught and sold salmon as the corner stone
of their economies. People all over the world use salmon
as a healthy part of their diet. Another positive quality
linked to eating salmon from the North Pacific is that
Alaska's Salmon Fishery received official certification
by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) on September
5, 2000 for being well managed and sustainable. This
distinction is a positive step ensuring that healthy
fish will be widely available for generations to come.
Receiving
this distinction is no easy task, making the acknowledgement
all the sweeter. A fishery has to adhere to three broad
reaching conditions: The number of salmon harvested
must be relative to the number that can be replenished
naturally and must also be caught ethically; The fishery
should be managed to ensure the health and diversity
of the marine eco-system; The fishery must adhere to
all laws and regulations for responsible and sustainable
fishing. Now all Alaska salmon that goes to market,
will do so with the MSC's Eco-label. To date, only the
Thames Black Water Herring and Western Australian Rock
Lobster fisheries have been MSC certified.
Not
only is Alaska salmon caught with the environment in
mind, it's part of a healthy and wholesome diet. The
fish swim in the cold, clean waters of the North Pacific,
allowing them to spawn, grow and mature at a natural
rate, giving the salmon a natural color and texture.
By feeding on marine micro-organisms, Alaska seafood
is additive free, providing a wealth of natural vitamins,
minerals, nutrients and heart healthy polyunsaturated
fats. Salmon is high in vitamins A, E, C and D with
some varieties containing anti-oxidant E, which has
been proven to strengthen the immune system and lower
the risk of heart disease by reducing the build up of
plaque in coronary arteries. It is also high in the
minerals zinc, iron, calcium and selenium.
Scientific
research has proven that certain fats can be healthy
and actually help the human body fight against cancer
and Heart disease. For years, studies have shown that
Omega 3 fatty acids found in seafood, like salmon can
help lower blood cholesterol levels. Now aggressive
medical studies are showing that fish oils, including
Omega 3, alters the production of an important group
of biological compounds known as eicosanoids. These
compounds affect blood pressure, blood clotting, inflammation,
immune function and coronary spasms.
The
focused effort of sustainability not only ensures the
consumer will be able to receive healthy nutritious
salmon for years to come, but creates thousands of jobs
critical to communities and fishing families throughout
Alaska. For this reason, salmon is recognized as precious
natural resource for its' vital role in the State's
economy. Alaska's whole seafood industry is the second
largest revenue producing industry in the state and
is the top producer of wild-high-value salmon with approximately
95% of all commercially caught salmon in the U.S. harvested
in Alaska.
Alaska
leads the nation in resource management, quality control
and conservation to ensure that Alaska seafood remains
the world's finest for future generations.
The
focused effort of sustainability not only ensures the
consumer will be able to receive healthy nutritious
salmon for years to come, but creates thousands of jobs
critical to communities and fishing families throughout
Alaska.
