Millions of years Made this fish.

The more you know about where your seafood comes from, the easier it is to choose wild. A few things worth knowing.

• Atlantic vs. Pacific salmon

  When you see 'Atlantic salmon' at a store or restaurant, it's almost certainly farmed. Wild Atlantic salmon populations on both sides of the Atlantic have declined significantly, following years of habitat destruction, interference from salmon farms, and overfishing — which is why commercial harvest of wild Atlantic salmon is effectively off the table.

  Pacific salmon from Alaska is a different story. Wild sockeye, coho, king, and others live their full lives in open water, eating a wild diet, in some of the healthiest and most carefully managed fisheries on Earth. The difference in flavor, nutrition, and environmental impact is significant.

• What's the best white fish?

  You tell us — we love cod for its mild, clean flavor, rockfish for its firm, crisp texture, and halibut and pollock for their versatility in the kitchen. The best way to find your favorite is to try them all. Every species in our box is sourced from sustainable Alaskan fisheries.

• What about oyster and kelp farms?

  While finfish farming is banned in Alaska, shellfish and kelp farms are legal.

  Not all aquaculture is created equal. Farmed bivalves — oysters, mussels, clams — and seaweeds are a different story from industrial finfish farming. These species are filter feeders that require no external feed, no antibiotics, and no synthetic inputs. They draw their nutrition directly from the surrounding water, the same way wild fish do.

  Done well, bivalve aquaculture can actually improve the health of surrounding ecosystems — filtering water, providing habitat, and supporting biodiversity.

• Is wild seafood organic?

  No — and there’s a good reason for this. Where organic products are certified because their environments can be managed, wild seafood is not certified because its environment cannot be controlled — and that’s exactly the point. Organic certification applies only to foods grown or raised in controlled environments, where every input can be monitored: the soil, the feed, the handling, the processing. Wild foods, by definition, don’t fit that model.

  That said, there are meaningful similarities. Wild Alaskan seafood contains no added hormones, no antibiotics, no GMOs, and no artificial colors, preservatives, or flavorings.

• Why does seafood sometimes list multiple places on the label?

  Seafood is frequently caught in one country, processed in another, and sold in a third. The longer and more complex the supply chain, the greater the risk of mislabeling, quality loss, and sustainability gaps. At Wild Alaskan Company, every product is processed domestically — in Alaska or facilities in the Pacific Northwest — so the chain stays efficient and the story stays clear.

• Frozen vs. “fresh”

  Unless you live dockside, the freshest seafood available to you is almost certainly frozen — properly, at peak freshness, close to the moment of harvest. What’s labeled “fresh” at a grocery store counter has typically been previously frozen and thawed for display. Properly frozen seafood retains its full nutritional profile, flavor, and texture. Improperly handled “fresh” seafood does not.

• Does wild seafood have mercury in it?

  Nearly all seafood contains trace amounts of mercury. However, factors such as size, species, and environment all can influence how much mercury each fish contains.

  In Alaska’s pristine marine ecosystems, many wild-caught species are known for having particularly low mercury levels compared with larger, longer-lived fish. Because of this, health authorities around the world generally encourage regular consumption of these lower-mercury seafood options as part of a balanced diet.

  As always, if you have specific health concerns, your healthcare provider can offer personalized guidance — but for most people, wild-caught seafood remains a health-supportive choice.