Salmon » Chinook salmon
Details About Chinook salmon
 a.k.a. Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Alaskan salmon, Pacific salmon, tyee salmon, winter salmon, quinnat salmon, king salmon, spring salmonHealth DetailsMore about seafood and health » |
Eco DetailsSalmon caught in Alaska (chinook/king, chum, coho, pink, sockeye) are among the better-managed fish stocks in the United States. Most Alaskan salmon populations are healthy, and fish are caught with gear that does little damage to the environment. Some wild salmon are caught off California, Oregon and Washington. Management there is stringent, but several populations are threatened by overfishing and habitat damage from dam construction, deforestation and urban development. |
More About Chinook salmon
Also called king salmon, the steely gray-blue chinook is born in freshwater streams and marine inlets, then travels to sea, where it lives most of its life, until it travels back upstream to its origin, where it spawns and dies. During spawning time, the fish changes to a bright red on its sides. Chinook salmon can grow up to nearly 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length.
Commercial Sources
Chinook salmon are native to the Arctic and North Pacific Oceans. In the eastern Pacific, they range from Alaska to California. In the western Pacific, they occur from the Bering Sea to Japan. Chinook salmon have been introduced into Europe, Central and South America and Oceania.
The main sources of chinook salmon are the United States, for wild caught fish, and Canada and New Zealand for farmed fish. Wild chinook sold in the U.S. market are primarily from the United States, while farmed chinook are mostly from Canada.
Capture Methods
Chinook salmon come from marine fisheries and fish farms. Wild fish are primarily caught with troll lines, gillnets and purse seines. Additional types of fishing gear include hooks-and-lines, weirs, pots and traps. Farmed fish are raised in net pens.
Note: Most chinook salmon is wild caught.
Buying & Eating Guide
Flavor and Texture
Chinook salmon are high in oil content, with rich, meaty flesh.
This guide is produced in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
