What Does 'Wild-Caught Fish' Actually Mean?

When you dive into the world of seafood, you can run into a lot of different terms. One phrase that is often thrown around is "wild-caught" seafood and how it differs from "farmed" fish. Wild-caught seafood is pretty true to how it sounds, although there are some details that might surprise you. Wild-caught seafood is any fish or shellfish that is caught in its natural habitat, whether that's in an ocean, lake, river, or any other body of water. They can be caught in a variety of ways including fishing lines, large traps, or nets. 

Interestingly enough, some farmed seafood is also raised in the ocean, but this doesn't necessarily mean it is wild. If the fish or shellfish is raised in any sort of controlled tank or pen, it is considered farm-raised. 

Wild-caught fish are sometimes further separated into categories according to the exact way the marine life was caught. For example, it could have been fished by long-line fishing, pole-caught, or troll-caught. Long-line fishing has a higher potential for bycatch, which happens when other fish (other than the intended species) are caught and killed in the process. If this concerns you, look for pole or troll-caught fish. In addition, wild-caught fish are sometimes caught using "FAD" (fish aggregating device) structures, which float on top of the water and attract fish. These also may lead to bycatch, so look for seafood marked "FAD-free."

Wild-caught fish is widely considered a high-quality choice, as long as it is sustainably fished. When too many of the same species are caught, problems like overfishing and dangerously decreasing numbers arise, damaging natural ecosystems and putting your favorite fast food fish sandwiches at risk. For example, up until 2005, crab fishers in Alaska could catch as many red king and snow crabs as they liked. However, when it was determined that the species numbers had dropped drastically, the U.S. government began regulating the numbers by implementing a quota system. Species numbers are monitored every year and, when necessary, fishing for specific types of crab is banned completely. (At least imitation crab is safe.)

Unlike farm-raised fish, wild-caught fish are also not given antibiotics. Diseases can spread rapidly in farmed fish populations since they are raised in close-knit environments. Antibiotics protect fish populations from this but can contribute to antibiotic resistance if these drugs are overused. 

Since demand for wild-caught fish and seafood has grown higher, it is often sold at a premium price, which can be restrictive for some shoppers. When it comes to the nutritional value of wild-caught vs farm-raised fish, the differences are fairly negligible, although wild-caught fish tend to have a bit less fat since they eat a natural and more varied diet. And, whether they are farmed or wild-caught, some cheap seafood isn't worth buying at all, so don't skimp on the cost if you don't need to.