Salmon is one of the most popular and beloved fish in the world. Its rich, fatty flesh makes it perfect for everything from grilling to smoking to poaching However, there is some debate around whether or not you can or should eat salmon after they have spawned. In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at the changes salmon undergo during spawning and whether it ultimately affects the taste and quality of their meat
What Happens To Salmon During The Spawning Process?
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Salmon undergo an incredible physical transformation when it’s time to spawn They stop eating entirely and rely on stored fat and protein reserves to fuel their long journey from the ocean back upriver to their spawning grounds,
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Their bodies rapidly change color from the signature silver sheen to a darker red or green hue. Males develop a pronounced hooked jaw called a kype
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The flesh becomes much softer and loses its firm texture as the fat and protein is metabolized.
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Most importantly, the quality of the meat declines significantly. The high fat content that makes salmon taste so good is depleted. Replacing it is a much higher concentration of blood, nitrogen, and water.
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Salmon cease storing oil and fat in preparation for the physically grueling swim upstream. The loss of these lipids and fatty acids is what degrades the flavor and texture.
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After spawning, most salmon species die shortly after laying their eggs. Their bodies continue to deteriorate, making the meat inedible.
Does Eating Spawning Salmon Make You Sick?
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Eating salmon in the late stages of spawning won’t make you sick or cause food poisoning. However, the taste and texture will be extremely compromised.
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The high levels of blood and nitrogen make the meat bitter and unappetizing. The soft, mushy texture is also unappealing.
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Freshness is always an important factor when eating any seafood. Old, spoiled salmon meat of any kind can potentially cause illness if enough bacteria or toxins are present.
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Still, the declining quality of spawning salmon is more of a palatability issue, not a food safety one.
When Is Salmon No Longer Safe To Eat?
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Salmon is generally safe to eat in the early stages of spawning migration. As they cease feeding, the fat content and flavor will start to decline.
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Once the fish have reached their spawning grounds, their meat has degraded significantly and is considered inedible due to the taste and texture deficiencies.
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Any salmon still present after spawning is essentially worthless as food. The meat is mushy and filled with blood, nitrogen, and water.
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After death, the salmon carcasses continue deteriorating and should never be harvested or consumed.
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As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to avoid eating salmon marked as “spawned out” or that appear very skinny, misshapen, or otherwise abnormal.
Best Practices For Cooking Salmon
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For the best results, seek out salmon that is caught before spawning migration begins. This ensures peak fat content and flavor.
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Farmed salmon reach market size faster and are harvested year-round before they’re able to spawn. This results in consistently high-quality meat.
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Try to purchase salmon as fresh as possible and cook within a day or two of purchasing. Fresh salmon has a glistening, moist appearance and resilient flesh.
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Avoid salmon with dull, faded looking meat or that releases water when pressed. This indicates the flesh has started breaking down.
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Cook salmon properly to avoid problems with texture. Aim for medium rare by cooking gently to 130°F internal temperature.
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Grilling, broiling, poaching, pan searing, and other dry heat methods work best to keep the salmon moist and tender.
Can You Eat Salmon After They Spawn? The Bottom Line:
While not exactly dangerous, salmon that has already spawned is considered inedible by most accounts. The meat is soft, mushy, and riddled with blood, nitrogen, and water. The flavor is compromised as stored fats are depleted. While you can technically eat spawned out salmon, the experience is extremely unappetizing. For the best results, seek out salmon caught pre-spawn or raised via aquaculture. With proper handling and cooking, salmon remains one of the most delicious fish available.
Considerations in Fishery Plans Image
Juvenile Coho Salmon. Credit: David Stafford/NOAA
Learning about the life cycles of salmon and steelhead, the different ages of when they return, times of year and migration patterns, can help fishery managers target specific stocks and forecast the abundance of fish available in each fishery. Different salmon and steelhead life histories require different methods to estimate their abundance. The estimated abundance is used to regulate salmon fisheries and accurately plan the management of fisheries to ensure salmon stocks are managed sustainably.
The variety of movement and ages of salmon and steelhead can make them more vulnerable to environmental changes and stressors at different times of year, impacting their survival. Salmon and steelhead species with diverse life histories, with multiple ages returning to spawn, may be more resilient to climate and habitat changes because the generations of their species are spread over several years. In contrast, salmon species, such as coho and pink salmon, that return at consistent ages, may be more susceptible and impacted by catastrophic events, leading to the loss of whole generations of fish. With an understanding of salmon and steelhead reaction to stressors, management plans can be created that consider the size of fisheries, and aim to balance ecological and economic objectives.
Life Cycle of Salmon
The life histories of different salmon stocks along the West Coast is diverse and complex. While all salmon exhibit the same general life cycle components, different types or stocks of salmon can vary widely in how those components actually occur, or for how long.
Adult salmon spawn in freshwater, where female salmon lay thousands of eggs that are fertilized by male salmon. Spawning can occur in spring, summer, fall, or winter and depends on the salmon species. After spawning, adult salmon die and their bodies provide nutrients for the freshwater ecosystem. Eggs are buried in gravel nests, called “redds,” and salmon can stay in their eggs for several weeks to months until they hatch. Once eggs hatch, the juvenile fish, called “fry,” can stay in the gravel nest to feed for 3-4 months. As juvenile salmon grow, they may remain in the freshwater rivers anywhere from a few hours to several years, depending on the species and other environmental factors. As juvenile salmon swim towards the ocean, they begin the process called smoltification–transitioning from living in freshwater to living in saltwater. The “smolts” may stay in estuaries from a few days to several weeks to feed, adapt, and prepare to enter the ocean.
Species of salmon can spend from 1 up to 6 years in the ocean as they mature and grow into adults. While in the ocean growing, salmon feed on small fish, squid, eels, and shrimp. When salmon are ready to reproduce, they migrate from the ocean back into freshwater rivers and streams to their spawning grounds. On their journey, they may encounter rapids, waterfalls, predators, and hydroelectric dams. Once salmon reach their freshwater spawning grounds, females dig a gravel nest, and the life cycle begins again.
How Salmon Evolved to Die After Spawning
FAQ
How long do salmon live after they spawn?
While new salmon are preparing to enter the world, their parents die (usually only days after spawning). Their bodies remain in the water or along the shore to decay and/or be eaten by other species. In this way they continue to nourish the environment around them.
Can you catch salmon when spawning?
They don’t eat and have no interest because their only drive is to migrate and spawn then they die. Once they start the spawning run they no longer eat. Pretty much the only way to catch a salmon once spawning run is going is to snag them, which is illegal.
Are spawning salmon rotting?
Once the salmon have spawned, most of them deteriorate rapidly (a.k.a. “spawned out”) and soon die. Some deteriorating salmon are still alive, but their bodies have already begun the process of rotting, and these deteriorating salmon are sometimes colloquially called “zombie fish”.
How does spawning salmon taste?
Flavor Profile: The flavor of spawning salmon can be more intense and sometimes described as “stronger” or “earthier” due to changes in their diet and biological processes. They may also have a more pronounced fishy taste compared to their ocean counterparts.