Wild fish vs farmed fish: the omega story

A salmon is not a salmon.

What it ate before it landed on your plate matters more than the species name.

The wild salmon

Wild salmon eats algae, krill, and smaller fish. All naturally rich in omega-3. The result: about 2.5–3 g of omega-3 per 100 g of fish. The omega-6 content stays low because the wild diet is low in omega-6.

The farmed salmon

Farmed salmon eats grain-based feed — usually corn, soy, and rendered fish oil. The omega-3 content drops to about 1.0–1.5 g per 100 g. The omega-6 content goes up because of the corn and soy feed.

Net effect: a farmed salmon meal delivers roughly half the omega-3 and three to five times the omega-6 of a wild one. Same colour. Same price. Different fish.

This pattern repeats across species

• Farmed tilapia — possibly the worst common offender. Very high omega-6, very low omega-3
• Farmed sea bass / barramundi — significantly worse than wild equivalents
• Farmed prawns — mixed; depends on the farm's feed

What to favour in Malaysia

• Wild small fish — ikan kembung, ikan bilis, sardines (canned in olive oil or water, NOT in soybean oil)
• Wild deep-sea fish when you can find them — tenggiri, kerisi, wild siakap
• Frozen wild salmon — often cheaper than fresh and just as nutritious
• Mackerel (saba) at Japanese restaurants — usually wild, very high omega-3

The trap to know

"Salmon" on a Malaysian menu is almost always farmed (usually from Norway or Chile). It's not bad fish — it's just not the omega-rich fish you might think it is.

If you're paying premium prices for premium-looking fish, it's worth knowing what you actually got.