U.S. wild-caught sockeye salmon is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations. However, some sockeye salmon are also protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Appearance

• Sockeye is one of the smaller species of Pacific salmon, measuring 1.5 to 2.5 feet in length and weighing 4 to 15 pounds.
• Kokanee (non-anadromous sockeye) rarely exceed 1.2 feet in length.
• Sea-going sockeye salmon have iridescent silver flanks, a white belly, and a metallic green-blue top, giving them their "blueback" name.
• Some fine black speckling may occur on the back, but the large spots typical of other Pacific salmon are absent. There are no spots on the fins, including the tail.
• As sockeye salmon return to their freshwater spawning grounds, their heads turn green and their bodies turn bright red, hence their other common name in Alaska is “red” salmon.
• Spawning males develop a humped back and hooked jaws filled with tiny, visible teeth.

Biology

• Most sockeye salmon are anadromous—they hatch in freshwater streams and rivers or lakes and generally rear in freshwater lakes for 1 to 3 years, after which they reach the smolt stage and migrate to the ocean to feed and grow.
• They typically mature and return to fresh water after 2 to 3 years at sea, but some return earlier or stay at sea longer, between 4 and 5 years.
• Sockeye salmon that return earlier are almost always males and are called "jacks."
• They typically spawn in the summer or fall.
• Females select spawning sites, dig nests (redds) with their tails, and deposit eggs (between 2,000 and 4,500) in the redds.
• Males swim over the redds and fertilize the eggs.
• Females cover their eggs with gravel using their tails.
• The eggs hatch during the winter, and the newly hatched salmon (alevins) remain in the gravel, living off the material stored in their yolk sacs until early spring.
• They then emerge as fry and spend 1 to 3 years in fresh water before reaching the smolt stage and migrating out to the ocean, usually in the spring.
• All sockeye salmon die within a few weeks after spawning.
• They sexually mature around the age of 5, which means their lifespan is about 5 years, although some live longer. Age 4 is more common in the Pacific Northwest.
• While in fresh water, juvenile sockeye salmon feed mainly on zooplankton (tiny floating animals), amphipods (small, shrimp-like crustaceans), and insects.
• In the ocean, sockeye salmon continue to feed on zooplankton but also eat larval and small adult fishes and occasionally squid.
• Fish (including other salmon) and birds feed on juvenile salmon.
• Sharks, lampreys, and marine mammals prey on adult salmon in the ocean. Bears, eagles, and occasionally wolves feed on sockeye salmon in fresh water.
• After salmon spawn and die, salmon carcasses are a valuable source of energy and nutrients to the river ecosystem. Carcasses have been shown to improve newly hatched salmon growth and survival by contributing nitrogen and phosphorous compounds to streams.

Where They Live

Range

• Northwest Alaska to the Deschutes River in Oregon.

Habitat

• Freshwater lakes, streams, estuaries, and associated wetlands provide vital nursery grounds for sockeye salmon.
• Anadromous sockeye migrate from fresh water habitats to the ocean to further grow, feed, and mature.
• Adult salmon leave the ocean, enter fresh water, and migrate many miles upstream to spawn, usually in the stream or lake of their birth.
• Some sockeye salmon are not anadromous and spend their entire lives in freshwater.
•  In the Pacific Northwest, non-anadromous sockeye are known as "kokanee."

Is Sockeye Salmon Sustainable?

U.S. wild-caught sockeye salmon is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Availability

Fresh summer and early fall. Frozen, canned, and smoked year-round.

Source

Alaska to Oregon.

Taste

Rich flavor that rivals the flavor of Chinook (king) salmon.

Texture

Firm and fatty, making it rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Color

Reddest flesh of the wild salmon species. The raw meat has a bright-red or orange-red color. Cooked meat remains red.

Health Benefits

Sockeye salmon is low in sodium and is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 168; Protein: 21.3 g; Total Fat: 8.56 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 1.495 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 62 mg; Selenium: 33.7 mcg; Sodium: 47 mg

FDA and EPA have issued advice regarding eating fish.

This advice can help those who might become or are pregnant or breastfeeding as well as parents and caregivers who are feeding children make informed choices when it comes to the types of fish that are nutritious and safe to eat.

Fish provide key nutrients that support a child’s brain development.

Fish are part of a healthy eating pattern and provide key nutrients during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and/or early childhood to support a child’s brain development:

• Omega-3 (called DHA and EPA) and omega-6 fats
• Iron
• Iodine (during pregnancy)
• Choline

Choline also supports development of the baby’s spinal cord. Fish provide iron and zinc to support children’s immune systems. Fish are a source of other nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium too.

Eating fish can provide other health benefits too.

Fish intake during pregnancy is recommended because moderate scientific evidence shows it can help your baby’s cognitive development.

Strong evidence shows that eating fish, as part of a healthy eating pattern, may have heart health benefits.

Healthy eating patterns that include fish may have other benefits too. Moderate scientific evidence shows that eating patterns relatively higher in fish but also in other foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, lean meats and poultry, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils, and lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and refined grains are associated with:

• Promotion of bone health – decreases the risk for hip fractures
• Decreases in the risk of becoming overweight or obese
• Decreases in the risk for colon and rectal cancers

A healthy eating pattern consists of choices across all food groups (vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and protein foods, which includes fish), eaten in recommended amounts, and within calorie needs. Healthy eating patterns include foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components and have no or little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating fish as part of a healthy eating pattern.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends:

• At least 8 ounces of seafood (less for children) per week based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
• Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding consume between 8 and 12 ounces per week of a variety of seafood from choices that are lower in mercury.

Choose a variety of fish that are lower in mercury.

While it is important to limit mercury in the diets of those who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children, many types of fish are both nutritious and lower in mercury.

This chart can help you choose which fish to eat, and how often to eat them, based on their mercury levels.

What is a serving? As a guide, use the palm of your hand.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding:

• 1 serving is 4 ounces

Eat 2 to 3 servings a week from the "Best Choices" list
(OR 1 serving from the "Good Choices" list).

Childhood:
On average, a serving is about:

• 1 ounce at age 1 to 3
• 2 ounces at age 4 to 7
• 3 ounces at age 8 to 10
• 4 ounces at age 11

Eat 2 servings a week from the “Best Choices” list.