Wild Sockeye vs Farmed Salmon in Canada: What the 2029 Ban on B.C. Open-Net Salmon Farms Means When You Buy Salmon

Most salmon in Canadian grocery stores is farmed, and the label doesn't always make that obvious. If you want wild caught salmon, sockeye is the safest bet: it isn't farmed commercially. Larry's Catch sells wild sockeye salmon from B.C.'s Skeena River, frozen at the source and delivered to your door.

The rules are also changing. The federal government has set July 1, 2029 as the date open-net salmon farming must end in B.C.'s coastal waters. Here's what that means at the fish counter, and how to tell what you're buying today.

Larry's Catch Wild Sockeye Salmon: Skeena River, B.C. · 6 oz fillet · $15.50

Ships frozen on dry ice across most of Canada. Check your postal code.

Wild vs farmed salmon: what's the difference?

Wild salmon is caught at sea or in rivers on its natural migration; farmed salmon is raised in pens and fed a manufactured diet. That difference in life and diet changes the fish on your plate.

Colour

Wild sockeye is naturally deep red from the krill it eats. Farmed salmon gets its colour from pigment added to its feed.

Texture and fat

Wild sockeye is leaner and firmer; farmed Atlantic salmon is softer and fattier, with visible white fat lines.

Species

Atlantic salmon is the main farmed salmon in Canada. Fisheries and Oceans Canada names Atlantic salmon as Canada's top aquaculture export, with some chinook and coho farmed too. Sockeye and pink are only sold wild.

Neither choice is wrong. But wild vs farmed salmon is a real difference in taste, texture and how the fish was raised, so it's worth knowing which one you're paying for.

What is changing for B.C. salmon farms by 2029?

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has committed to end open-net pen salmon farming in British Columbia's coastal waters. A June 2026 DFO briefing note states the government's goal of a "complete ban by July 1, 2029," and says only marine or land-based closed-containment systems will be considered for new salmon farming licences in coastal B.C.

The government's stated reason is to protect wild Pacific salmon populations in B.C.

What it means for you as a buyer: farmed salmon won't disappear from stores, because much of it is imported, and closed-containment farms can still operate. But the open-net pens off the B.C. coast will be gone, and labels will matter even more if you want to choose wild.

Why sockeye is always wild

Sockeye salmon isn't one of the species farmed in Canada: DFO lists Atlantic, chinook and coho. If a package says sockeye, it was caught wild, usually in B.C. or Alaska.

That makes sockeye the easiest way to buy wild caught salmon without decoding a label. Our sockeye comes from B.C.'s Skeena River, one of the province's major sockeye rivers.

Tired of guessing what's in the package? Every Larry's Catch product names where it was caught. Shop wild sockeye.

How to read salmon labels (Atlantic, sockeye, coho, "wild")

Salmon labels in Canada tell you more than they seem to, once you know the code.

Where to buy wild sockeye salmon online in Canada

You can buy sockeye salmon online in Canada from seafood delivery companies, some grocery chains and fishing families who sell direct. The best sellers name the river or region, freeze the fish quickly and ship it frozen.

If you're looking for where to buy wild caught salmon that's Canadian, check for "B.C." on the label, not just "Pacific". Larry's Catch sells wild sockeye salmon from Canada in three ways.

Wild sockeye fillets

Our wild sockeye fillets come from the Skeena River: $15.50 for 6 oz, ready to bake, grill or pan-sear.

Smoked sockeye salmon

Our smoked sockeye salmon is smoked in Richmond, B.C.: $29.50 for 8 oz, for bagels and brunch boards.

Smoked maple sockeye nuggets

Our smoked maple sockeye salmon nuggets are $35 for 8 oz: a sweet, smoky snack straight from the pack.

Every order ships frozen on dry ice at about -80 °C, free on orders over $150, with a replacement or refund if anything arrives thawed.

Is wild caught salmon worth the price?

Wild caught salmon usually costs more than farmed, and for most people the difference is worth it on taste and on knowing how the fish lived. Our wild sockeye is $15.50 for a 6 oz fillet, about $41 per pound.

What the price buys you:

• Natural colour: the red comes from what sockeye eats at sea, not from pigment in feed.
• A firmer, meatier fillet: sockeye's lean texture holds up on the grill and in the pan.
• A traceable source: one river, named on the label.

Farmed salmon still has a place when you want a fattier, milder fillet. Just choose it on purpose, not by accident.

Is frozen wild salmon as good as fresh?

Frozen wild salmon is often better than "fresh", because the wild sockeye season is short and fresh fish sold outside it has travelled for days. Larry's Catch freezes its sockeye soon after it's caught, which holds the colour, firm texture and flavour.

Thaw it in the fridge overnight and cook it within 24 hours. Frozen, it keeps up to 6 months. More on this in why frozen fish is better.

How much salmon per person and how to cook it

Plan on one 6 oz fillet per person for a main course. Wild sockeye is leaner than farmed salmon, so cook it a little less: it's done when it just flakes in the centre.

• Baked: 10 to 12 minutes at 400 °F. Try our lemon butter baked sockeye salmon.
• Crispy skin: skin side down in a hot pan for most of the cooking. See crispy skin sockeye with lemon beurre blanc.
• Easy weeknight: our baked wild sockeye salmon takes 20 minutes start to finish.

Buy wild caught salmon from Larry's Catch

The easiest way to buy wild caught salmon in Canada is to buy sockeye from a seller who tells you the river it came from. Larry's Catch works directly with Canadian fishers and ships wild B.C. sockeye across most of Canada.

Add sockeye to your own box, or start with one of our ready-made seafood boxes.

Print this page