Wild salmon flown in Tesco is bringing in Alaskan salmon by plane so the fish can be sold just 72 hours after being caught. Planes are taking off every day from Ketchikan Airport, Alaska, to bring the US state's wild salmon to supermarkets across the country. er its been caught. Journeys are being co-ordinated with military precision to fly the premium salmon from Alaska via Seattle before going on to Heathrow. The Keta fish is wild and fresh, but also lower in fat. Tesco fish buying manager Sue Lewis said: "Until recently, transport difficulties meant fish could only be frozen or canned, but because Alaskan salmon comes from such icy waters they remain fresher for longer. "Alaskan farmers are setting a great example to other salmon farmers on how to maintain sustainable stocks. But stocks are seasonal so shoppers need to be quick." Popularity of salmon has nearly doubled in the last five years. Britons currently eat 17,752 tonnes of salmon a year compared to 1996 when 10,288 tonnes was served. In the short eight-week season Tesco expects to sell 40,000kg of wild salmon. Londoners are Britain's biggest salmon lovers. They eat a quarter of the year's stock of salmon ­ 4,387 tonnes a year. People in the south west eat the least salmon, only 3%, which equates to a low 474 tonnes. Alaskan salmon is lighter in colour than European salmon with lower fat and oil content. Tesco claims the fish are the first wild salmon in the world to carry the Marine Stewardship Council's eco-label The Marine Stewardship Council was set up by Unilever & WWF in 1997 to enhance the responsible management of the world's seafood resources. {{M/E MEAT }}

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