Is there a difference between Wild Salmon and Organic Salmon?

There could be a one-word answer to this question, and it would be “Yes!”

We gather from talking to our customers that there is a lot of confusion regarding the source of the salmon.

Below we will give you a little summary about the differences between organic and wild salmon.

Organic Salmon

The most important difference between Wild and Organic salmon is that the organic one is farmed.

Like a cattle or sheep farm on the rolling hills of Ireland, a fish farm is the aquatic equivalent of the ancient tradition of agriculture.

From the stage of spawning to living out in huge nets in the wild waters of the Atlantic on the west coast of Ireland for almost 3 years, the farmed salmon grows in a controlled environment. The marine-based organic feed ensures that we not only get more than our fair share of omega-3 oils when we eat salmon. It also makes sure that the salmon has a consistent taste.

Salmon farms have control over the quantity and the size of the fish raised. There is a growing demand for healthy and clean foods which could not be satisfied with wild salmon.

Organic salmon farmers in Ireland make sure that the farms are anchored in safe places in the lee of islands which takes advantage of the strong currents in the grade A waters without being washed away.

The cages are covered in nets to avoid escaping. It also keeps predators like seals out of the cages. So there is a strong separation between organically farmed and wild salmon.

You can read more interesting facts about organic salmon farms on our dedicated page.

Wild Irish Salmon

Wild salmon is salmon that returns to the rivers where is came from. It has to be caught - under very strict conditions and legal enforcement - by small outfits. They can catch wild salmon in the rivers only, not out on the sea.

The most striking difference to farmed salmon is that there is no control over anything to do with wild salmon.

The taste depends on what the salmon has eaten. Some might have a taste of the river they have been travelling up. So you could say that there is a kind of "rivoir" taste (like the river counterpart to terroir) to some wild salmon.

Another thing beyond human control is the number of wild salmon. Some years, there is more wild salmon swimming up the rivers than others, and the water level in the rivers plays a crucial role in it.

The size of the fish varies as well, depending on the temperature of the sea. The colder the water, the more slowly it will grow.

In summary, the difference between organic salmon and wild salmon is that one is farmed, and the other has to be caught. Or one could say that the main difference between Organic and Wild Salmon is the amount of control humans have over them.

More about Wild salmon