Why Alaska Seafood Is The Smart Choice

What do you know about Alaska? You know that it’s cold, right? And you know that it’s technically in America but also so close to Russia that, on a clear day, you can actually see the Russian mainland across the Bering Strait, yeah? Anything else? No? That’s fine. Because I’m going to provide you with some very exciting information about Alaska that is directly related to what you like to eat. Providing that you like to eat seafood, that is.

Yes, Alaska is home to some of the most responsible and sustainable fisheries in the world and the wild seafood you can get from there is a contender for the most delicious in the world. Not only does the seafood taste great but it’s also notoriously good for you. Everything from flaky pollock to fatty salmon can provide you with a hit of omega-3 fatty acids – nutrients that are essential for our bodies to promote heart health and suppress inflammatory responses as well as improve blood flow and brain function.

The quality of the seafood you can get in Alaska is superb (we pan-fried a fillet of salmon in our kitchen the other day and it tasted as if it’d jumped right off the fishing line into our mouths) and the state goes to great length to ensure its continued abundance and that fishing it remains a sustainable practice. A lot of that is done by taking a scientific approach to harvest levels and fully committing to the belief that “the fish always come first”. That might sound like a quote from Finding Nemo but it’s something that Alaskans take very seriously. Fishing isn’t only crucial to the livelihood of the people of Alaska, but a deeply ingrained part of their culture.

Most of Alaska’s fishing fleets belong to small family businesses who have been trawling the icy waters for generations and many communities in the area depend on healthy wild fish stocks in order to make a living. So while buying Alaskan seafood isn’t exactly buying local, it does help to support small local communities. It’s just that those small local communities are in Alaska rather than, like, Devon.

Taking notes from the “nose to tail” movement spearheaded by icons like Fergus Henderson, most seafood from Alaska also adheres to a “fin to gill” ethos focussed on reducing waste. After primary processing, many Alaska seafood producers use the remaining materials to create products such as fishmeal and fish oil. Even the bones are used in pet food, fertiliser and to remove heavy metals and radioactive waste from contaminated soil. Yes, really.

That’s the reason (alongside a plethora of other reasons relating to the state’s strict sustainability guidelines) why Alaska seafood is certified by not just one but two independent, third party sustainable seafood certifications: the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

Alaska’s seafood lives in some of the cleanest waters in the world – that means no artificial colouring, preservatives, pesticides, or GMOs are necessary. The best part of it all, though, is that it just tastes bloody great. We’ve used Alaskan seafood in everything from Gochujang Alaska Pollock Burgers to Alaska Salmon Caesar Salad and stand by the quality of the stuff. So, the next time you’re looking to whip up a tasty chowder or hearty fish pie, try keeping an eye out for seafood labelled as from Alaska. It’s the smarter choice to make.