It seems Hans Edwards (Questioning Tom Fletcher’s tastebuds, Letters, Feb. 1) missed the whole point when Mr. Fletcher dared to question Alaska salmon. It was really not about the taste of wild or farm-raised salmon. Besides, the taste of salmon is a very personal thing and has much to do with the species of salmon rather than if it was cultured, or not.
The point that Mr. Fletcher actually raised was whether the marketing of Alaska salmon as wild is fair representation of the product. Given the fact that about 1.5 billion Alaska hatchery salmon account for 49 per cent of the commercial catch (2010), there are some serious questions about their perceived wildness. This is called ocean ranching and is a twist on what many British Columbians know as fish farming.
To be clear, I believe that aquaculture (enhancement, ranching or farming) plays an important role in taking pressure off wild salmon.
Maybe Mr. Fletcher questioning the validity of Alaska salmon marketing isn’t such a “wild” idea after all.
G. Gibson
Comox
