Sockeye salmon

General

Salmonids

There are many species that belong to the Salmonids or (Protacanthopterygii). Did you know trouts, smelts, and even pikes belong to the Salmon family? Salmonids occur in either salt and freshwater. Most species are well-specialized predators and live in temperate climate zones.  Salmonids are ray-finned fishes and can be distinguished by the ‘fat-fin’ between the backfin and tail. They do not have spikes and the pelvic and pectoral fin are separated.

Salmonids are sold farmed and wildcaught. Wildcaught salmon comes from the Pacific. Almost all Atlantic salmon on sold is farmed. Since the 90s the farming of salmon increased dramatically. Norway, chile, Scotland, Canada and the Faroe islands are important farming countries for salmon. In both, wild-caught and farmed salmon problems in sustainability are prevalent.

Sockeye salmon

Sockeye salmon, red salmon, kokanee salmon or bluebak salmon is one of the five salmon species that can be found in the northern Pacific Ocean and its adjacent rivers. Most salmon species are anadromous: they are born in fresh water (rivers) and migrate to sea where they spend most of their life. They return back to their birth grounds to spawn after 2-5 years. However, some sockeye populations live closed off from sea in lakes and rivers. Sockeye gets on average 45 cm long, with a maximum length of 45 cm and weighs 2.3 – 7  kg. Salmon only reproduce once in their lifetime, they die shortly after reproduction. Salmon are keystone species in the ecosystem and are a very important food source for birds, bears, otters and other wildlife.