Why is salmon so expensive

Hauling fish across countries can add significantly to the cost as the catch needs to be kept cold and shipped quickly to keep it fresh. So Salmon caught locally can often be bought directly from the fisherman, cutting out many middlemen and processing and keeping the cost down. This article is part of our economics of food series, check out our other articles such as why are nuts so expensive?

Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Search for: Search. Rising Demand In my opinion, this is the major driving force behind the increase in global salmon prices. Overfishing of Salmon Wild Salmon populations are being depleted, with many rivers that were once teeming with Slamon now being completely devoid of any.

Loss of genetic diversity According to a study published in PLOS One Chinook salmon have lost up to two-thirds of their genetic diversity over the past years. Wild v Farmed Salmon Salmon farming pens Salmon farming is big business, farmed salmon are often found in northern European countries such as Scotland and Norway as well as being found off the west coast of Canada.

Atlantic V Pacific Salmon There is a huge difference between these two marine creatures, more than just their habitation. Distance from the catch As with all fish, the distance you live from the fisherman actually catching or farming the fish can have a big impact on the price you pay.

Economics of food This article is part of our economics of food series, check out our other articles such as why are nuts so expensive? Post navigation. After all, as Delish covered, an outbreak of sea lice among the Norwegian salmon farms in caused prices to jump by over 50 percent. It's also true that the salmon offered by Alaska Sausage and Seafood is probably not like the salmon you can buy in a grocery store, but of presumably higher quality.

As with steak , however, one can avoid the costs by using sections of the salmon other than the fillet. Fish food is a very nutritious food for animals. But humans can never use it directly. This is why oil is obtained from salmon fish and that is why it is more expensive.

Hopefully, after reading this reason, you will have understood why salmon is expensive? The increase in salmon farms has led to an increase in its stock, but also an increase in demand. As consumers buy salmon for food, the demand for salmon increases, which in turn increases its price. Due to the competition among the producers of salmon, its price can be reduced and thus the consumer can get good salmon. But despite all this, the producers are making good profits.

If we talk about restaurants or places where salmon is cooked for you, the price of salmon there is at least double. This is because they buy salmon and then prepare it so they charge more. In addition, salmon is considered to be the healthiest and best food, which is why it has a higher markup. Even if the price of salmon is low, it can still make a good profit due to its demand. Wild fish are fed to salmon. This food is more expensive than the food given to farmed salmon.

Wild salmon need two to three times more food than farmed salmon, as they need more energy to hunt and fight currents while living in the oceans. When it comes time to harvest salmon, they weigh up to about 4. It is also a fact that salmon farms are mostly built along coastal areas. Fish are found in large numbers in these farms. The farm should contain eight to eighteen kilograms of salmon per cubic meter.

But due to lack of space, this principle is not taken into account. Large numbers of salmon are kept in a small space. As long as copper nets and cages are not used in salmon farms, salmon will suffer from parasites and diseases.

Most bacteria and eggs are destroyed by too much heat and too much cold. Even when you cook salmon, they disappear and you can avoid diseases. But people, who use salmon raw, such as sushi, have an increased risk of disease. But restaurants still take the necessary precautions when preparing these dishes, which reduces this risk. Wild salmon have a wide area to live in and do not have to live with the rest of the fish waste, which is why they have a lower chance of disease.

The supply chain also plays an important role in influencing the price of something. Similarly, the food chain plays an important role in the price of salmon. As we know that seafood is rich in nutrients and their prices go up significantly from sea to land, this is why their prices are so high. Salmon is also obtained from the oceans, which is why its price has increased considerably as it reaches the land markets.

There it hunts a large amount of wild fish and gains most of its body mass. Then, when fully mature and ready to spawn, salmon heads back to the river it hatched in. Doing so is dangerous, not just because of bears. They exhaust themselves, since they need to literally fish a current and jump upstream.

Their bodies break down and release sulfur, phosphor, nitrogen, and carbon. These are all important to plant and animal life, but are much more common in ocean life.

Salmon are important because they bring those very nutrients to the land, and their decaying bodies provide nutrients for their spawn, once they hatch. Salmon is a very important source of Omega 3, 6, and 9. They are useful in regulating cholesterol levels, heart health, circulatory problems, and memory issues.

In short, very useful and very sought after. Salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, chia seeds, walnuts, and flaxseeds are all rich sources of Omega 3, 6, and 9. But of all these, salmon are the most commonly used.

The Omega is extracted from fish oil, which is extracted from fish meal. Fish meal is a very nutritious feed for livestock, but is never meant for direct human consumption. So, the fact that salmon is also used for its fish oil brings the total cost of the fish even higher. Literally every single piece and scrap is used and treasured. Because salmon farms have increased the number of available salmon stock, the demand has increased.

As long as consumers notice that salmon can be brought to the table, even for a higher price, the demand will stay high. This drives the price of salmon even higher, since producers are competing with each other to put out the best salmon that is both cheap for the consumer but also brings them a profit.