Restaurant Awarded for Serving Wild Fish

The Editor
Seattle Post Intelligence
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119

Dear Editor:

The P.I. recently reported that the Pacific Northwest Salmon Center, dedicated to recovering wild salmon, had inducted the owner and chef of the “Flying Fish Restaurant” into its Wild Salmon Hall of Fame because only wild salmon were on the menu.

This seems more than strange to me. First of all, it is more than likely that any local Chinook or coho served in that establishment, would have originated in a hatchery and therefore be anything but wild. Secondly, if the fish served were indeed wild they well could be from over-fished stocks or even from those listed under the Endangered Species Act. High end restaurants proudly advertise wild salmon from Alaska, but 95% of these troll-caught Chinook salmon originate in southern rivers where fish are struggling to survive despite “protection” under the Endangered Species Act.

It would seem far more appropriate if the award had been given to an establishment serving only fish specifically targeted for harvest, e.g. marked hatchery salmon or farmed fish.

Frank Haw
Olympia, WA

Cc: Pacific Northwest Salmon Center