Against the current

Amy Rosen
November 20, 2009
Weekend Post

Just when you thought we were all finished with farmed Atlantic salmon, now comes news that the New Brunswick-based Cooke Aquaculture has officially become the first company in North America to offer eco-certified farmed Atlantic salmon. And while the certification of seafood is a growing trend, the certification of farmed seafood - in particular salmon - may just represent the next frontier in sustainable seafood for a global market hooked on the ocean's bounty. Heritage is the name brand of Cooke Aquaculture's salmon, and the label under which it is sold at supermarkets like Loblaws and Longos.

But what does this certification actually mean? The press materials say the salmon is certified under IFQC (International Food Quality Certification), an internationally recognized organization, and that the eco label requires Cooke Aquaculture to meet stringent standards in five key areas: Marine environment, feed, energy, water use, packaging and waste. Cooke Aquaculture sells more than 115 million pounds of salmon a year to markets across Canada and the U.S. - a hell of a lot of salmon. Which got me thinking about a dinner I had in Vancouver a few months ago.

Read the full story in The National Post

See the related story in The Globe and Mail; November 24, 2009; "Debunking our 'fetish of the fresh'".