In September of 2007, I was making an effort to eat more fresh, healthy fish. Unfortunately I had some bad experiences with purchasing fish at local supermarkets. There were several times where the fish I purchased was less than fresh, though it LOOKED good on the outside. My husband, Damian, wasn't interested in eating 'fishy' fish, and my apartment smelled less than pleasant after cooking some of these meals. A lot of this fish ended up in the trash.

There was also a growing body of research on the dangers of eating farm-raised fish. It turns out that farm-raised fish is not only sometimes unhealthy for us, but it's bad for the environment. Wild salmon live on a diet of krill and shrimp, which is rich in omega 3 fatty acids and other nutrients. Captive fish are raised on a diet of antibiotics and artificially produced meal - just like cows, pigs and chickens at factory farms. The result can be high levels of contaminants such as dioxin or mercury, and an eco-system that is polluted by the parasites, waste and runoff from these farms. In some cases, farm-raised fish escape and can play havoc with the eco-system by out-competing native fish for resources or mates, introducing parasites to wild fish and polluting the gene pool.

By the way, the reason that wild salmon flesh is pink is because of their diet. By eating natural foods, their flesh becomes a natural shade of pink, and becomes rich in nutrients important to you and me. Farm-raised fish eat artificial diets, and therefore have flesh that is more grayish white. To fix this 'problem; farmed fish are fed dyes which over time gives them a more 'natural' pink color. There is nothing natural about it though. In fact, some fish farmers offer customized color palates to their customers. The next time you are at the fish store and see some salmon that looks VERY pink (or red), realize that this is not a natural color.

There are also ethical problems with wild fish from some suppliers. Did you know that some fishing fleets rely on ships equipped with nets that are miles long and that sweep up everything in the ocean? The tuna or salmon provided by some companies comes at a high price - thousands of fish that are caught, die, and are tossed away as trash. Sometimes ocean mammals like dolphins, seals, whales and others are caught and killed. The same goes for species like turtles, sharks and others. Some fisheries around the world have already collapsed and many more are on the way.

What does collapsed mean? It means that so many fish have been pulled from these waters that these areas become virtual deserts, with not enough fish left to keep up the populations. When this happens, the fleets move on to new areas, leading to more collapsed fisheries. This is a big issue we will have to deal with over the next few decades, and it may be too late for some species.

In mid-September of 2007, saw an advertisement for Vital Choice, a company that sells only fresh, sustainably harvested, products. In most cases, they catch fish in the old fashioned way - with a line and a reel. I decided to give them a try. I purchased two types of salmon, Sockeye and King, After receiving the fish I cooked test meals with both. The difference was amazing.

First, when my husband came home, he could not tell that I had been cooking fish. The fish was so fresh that the there was absolutely no fishy smell. I couldn't believe it, and neither could he.

But as they say, the proof is in the tasting and taste these dishes we did. The result - let's just say that both Damian and I were instant converts. If you want to read more about my experience with Vital Choice, you can read my October 2007 newsletter. You can also click on the picture below to visit their website. I recommend the Sockeye and King Salmon. I have also been experimenting with canned salmon, Halibut and Salmon oil supplements. It's too early for me to recommend these products, but the initial results have been great. Look for my completed reviews in early 2008.