Delicious but controversial

You wouldn't think something as delicious as fresh wild Alaskan salmon would be controversial, but when it comes to Copper River salmon, there seems to be as many opinions as there are fish trying to swim upstream to spawn.

When the Seattle (Wash.) Times speculated May 14 that prices for Copper River salmon were expected to be $15 to $35 a pound this year, compared to a maximum of $50 a pound last year, readers let loose. One, who said he is a native Alaskan, claimed there is absolutely no difference between salmon from the Copper River and other rivers. Others say Copper River fish have superior fat content, referring to beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids.

Costco's price of $9.99 a pound for Copper River sockeye salmon is even more amazing when you look at mail order prices -- $20.95 to $24.95 a pound, plus shipping, higher for fillets from the much larger king salmon. SeaBear, one of the mail order places, says the "raging, 300-mile" river is fed by Copper Glacier and is "one of the most pristine places on earth."