If there’s any one food that exemplifies British Columbia’s cuisine, it would have to be Pacific wild salmon. We have First Nations people to thank for introducing us, and the rest of the world, to this indigenous resource that turned out to be an exceptionally healthy food.

Salmon is a good source of protein, vitamin D, selenium and zinc. Compared to other animal-based protein foods, salmon is generally lower in saturated fats and high in omega-3 fats: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

EPA and DHA are believed to be critical to the neurological development of infants. Internationally, experts agree that women who eat healthy quantities of low contaminant-containing fish during their pregnancies have healthier babies.

Some research suggests that omega-3 fats prevent blood clot formation and irregular heartbeats, which often lead to heart attacks. But when these data are thoroughly examined, the relationship between omega-3s and cardiovascular health remains unclear.

Newer studies are linking omega-3 fats with the prevention of depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. However, more research is needed to better understand their role.

The inconsistent outcomes of studies regarding omega-3 fats may be about fish oils having different effects in people depending on their age and health status. Or, the benefits of fish are not about what they contain as much as it’s about the food that fish replaces in our diets.

While research findings on omega-3 fats aren’t entirely compelling, public health agencies like Health Canada recommend eating fish on a regular basis. Canada’s Food Guide encourages us to eat at least five ounces (150 grams) each week of salmon or other fish rich in omega-3s such as anchovies, Arctic char, herring, mackerel, sardines and trout.

Health Canada believes these fish are generally low in environmental contaminants like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). But, sadly, all fish and seafood have PCBs and related toxic chemicals to some extent. Farmed salmon are even more concentrated in toxins because they’re fed fish meal and fish oils that contain PCBs. According to the Dietitians of Canada, the amount of contaminants in fish meal depends on its continent of origin: fish meal from Europe contains more PCBs than meal from South America. In Canada, farm-raised salmon are fed the latter.

Since PCBs accumulate in the body fat of fish, a significant amount of these toxins can be reduced by removing the skin and carefully cutting away the creamy white fat prior to cooking. However, this will also lower the omega-3 fats remaining in the salmon.

Aside from contaminants, we also need to be cognisant of the startling disappearance of wild salmon stocks in our rivers and along our coastline. According to SeaChoice (an initiative that promotes consumer awareness of sustainable fish and seafood in Canada and is sponsored by organizations like the David Suzuki Foundation and the Sierra Club of B.C.), forecasted returns for B.C. salmon in 2010 are low across the province.

Many of these returns mark a continued decline of populations of all salmon species caught in commercial fisheries. Habitat loss, fisheries mismanagement, open net-cage salmon farming and poor ocean conditions have all contributed to the current degraded state of Pacific wild salmon.

The sounding of alarm bells prior to a fishery’s collapse is familiar to me. In the late 1980s, I was living in Nova Scotia when Newfoundland’s Northwest Atlantic cod stocks began to dry up, along with thousands of jobs. More than two decades later, the fishery has never recovered.

There’s still some wild salmon left in B.C. and we have a chance to create positive change by purchasing salmon of healthier stocks. For 2010, SeaChoice identified in-river, selectively caught Skeena River sockeye and pink salmon, and Barkley Sound (Somass River) seine-caught sockeye salmon as the better choices. Fraser River sockeye and South Coast chinook and coho were assessed as the worst alternatives.

If the river or coast of origin, species of salmon and capture method is not available on the package labels or restaurant menus, we should ask for this information. Doing so allows us to play a part in supporting our province’s sustainable salmon fishing practices. For more sustainable fish and seafood recommendations, visit www.seachoice.org.

Linda Watts is a registered dietitian. Email her at wattslin@gmail.com.