I purchased some Arctic Char salmon from our very good local fish market (it
was pricey- $9.95/lb) and it was very delicious. The fish monger told me it
was actually "salmon-trout"- a cross between a salmon and a trout. Since this
is a wild caught fish, I was skeptical about this so called hybrid. Does
anyone know the truth about this? I always thought Arctic Char was a good
quality wild caught salmon, high in natural essential 3 fatty acids. Trout is
also very high in healthful oils, but I have never heard of a salmon/trout
hybrid. Then again, I don't know beans about fish!

Also, a different fellow at the same market told me there are 2 ways of
farming salmon. In one method they are raised inland in small pens (sort of
like enormous fish tanks) and fed a grain based diet much like farmed beef,
thus destroying the natural fatty acid balance. Also, they are doused with
various antibiotics and other chemicals to control the spread of disease in
such a close contained environment. The second method employs enormous
nets/pens in the open ocean, where the fish can be contained and easily
harvested, but where they are free to feed naturally as they would if caught
wild, thus maintaining the natural healthful fatty acid balance. I asked how
the consumer is supposed to know which kind of "farmed fish" she is
purchasing, and was told, "You ask your fish monger. At this market, we
purchase only the open ocean farmed fish." Any information about this?

Meanwhile, we bought Chilean Sea Bass (also very pricey) but as far as I
know, still a wild fish with a very good fatty acid balance. It's for dinner
tonight, so I'll have to see how good it is.

Maddy Mason
Hudson Valley, NY