CATCH THE TASTE OF THE WILD

Sockeye Salmon

There is one place in the world where the waters are still pristine and rich with the bounty of natural salmon: Alaska! Home to the greatest wild salmon runs in the world, Alaska produces over 90% of the total North American commercial landings of natural salmon. Five unique and delicious species - Alaska King, Sockeye, Keta, Coho and Pink Salmon swim through the icy, pure waters of the North Pacific to mature into far and away the world's finest salmon.

The Lifecycle Of Alaska Salmon

Alaska Salmon spawn in over 2,000 freshwater rivers and lakes across the state. From there they migrate to the ocean, swimming thousands of miles through the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, feeding on ocean krill, shrimp and other small fish. This natural diet, combined with the rigors of swimming through icy waters, gives Alaska Salmon their unique flavor, color and superior texture.

Although the lifecycle and spawning characteristics of each of the five species of Alaska Salmon differ, each maintains the same timing year after year, returning to the exact place of their birth. As the salmon return to spawn, they build up reserves of fat and nutrients to carry them through their rigorous journey upstream. It is at this point of peak quality, just before they reach fresh water, that the salmon are harvested.

Salmon Life Cycle

Alaska Salmon are anadromous - they spawn in fresh water and the young migrate to the sea where they mature. Salmon will spawn in the headwaters of a river or Lake System.

Salmon do not eat once they have entered fresh water and they leave the ocean heavy with the fats and nutrients that they will subsist on during their freshwater phase. Salmon that enter fresh water early in the season are more brightly colored than those that arrive later, but all Salmon turn darker as the time to spawn approaches. Pronounced morphological changes take place particularly in the spawning male. The female selects a suitable patch of gravel and excavates the eggs. When she is ready, she allows the male to fertilize her eggs.

• The small salmon eggs are hidden in nests, called redds.
• The salmon eggs incubate for five to seven months and hatch where the spawning pair deposited and fertilized the eggs the fall before.
• In spring the newly hatched salmon fry emerge from the gravel and begin their journey.
• Some species of salmon migrate directly down the rivers to the sea almost immediately, while others spend 1-3 years in freshwater rivers or lakes.
• When the fry do migrate toward the sea, they undergo certain changes, which prepare them for life in salt water, and during this stage of life it is called a smolt.
• In the estuary, where salt and fresh water mix and food is abundant, the smolt may double or even triple its weight before venturing westward into the Gulf of Alaska or Bering Sea.
• In the ocean the young salmon eat plankton and smaller fishes, while evading predators like birds, seals, whales, and other fishes.
• Alaska salmon travel thousands of miles. Depending on the species, salmon take 2-4 years to grow to adulthood in the cold rich waters of the North Pacific Ocean.
• In summer the instincts of the salmon lead their migration back to the Alaska streams in which they were hatched.
• The female salmon digs a nest in the cleanest part of the streambed and then selects a male to fertilize her eggs, as she deposits them in the gravel. All Alaska salmon die after spawning once in their lives.

Consistent and Abundant Supply

Despite reports of declining fishery resources across the nation and in other parts of the world, Alaska's salmon supply has remained strong.

Stringent management programs have resulted in record salmon harvests over the last three to four years. Foodservice operators can be assured that Alaska will produce a consistent and abundant supply of salmon for many years to come.

Click here for our on-line Wild Alaska Salmon Buyer's Guide.