In the Hall of the Mountain King Salmon

Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon raises freshwater king salmon high in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, in fast-flowing hydroelectric canals fed by alpine snowmelt. The low-density, high-flow environment keeps the salmon swimming against a steady current, much like a river.

Freshwater Canals, Inspired Innovation

Mt. Cook is set apart by its glacier-fed hydroelectric canal system: a man-made waterway originally designed for renewable energy, now repurposed for salmon farming. Because of the altitude and snowmelt, the canals keep a constant, fast-moving flow, and the water stays cold year-round and naturally oxygenated.

Stewards of the Southern Alps

Behind Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon is a team of New Zealanders committed to innovation, transparency, and stewardship. Many of the farmers here come from backgrounds in marine science or freshwater conservation, looking to build the opposite of commodity, industrial fish farm. Together, they’ve built a system that blends technical precision with deep respect for nature. Every salmon is hand-fed, every process optimized for fish welfare, flavor, nutrition, and environmental care.

from Mt. Cook

Alpine Salmon

Mt. Cook raises Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, also known as king salmon or Chinook, the most prized species of salmon for its rich texture, marbled fat and high omega-3 content.

Alpine King Salmon MT. COOK ALPINE SALMON

$25.75 /serving

All hail the mountain king salmon—royally perfect, raw or roasted

What do the fish eat? - Fish feed FAQ

A fish is built from what it eats, so feed decides its omega-3s and its mineral profile, and it shapes its exposure to mercury and microplastics. That’s why we treat feed as a sourcing requirement rather than a farm detail, and why every farm we work with has to tell us what goes into the pellet. Feed varies by farm, by species, and by stage of growth.

What can be in it?

We work with a number of different farms around the world, and the specific feeds vary by farm, by species, and even by the phase of the growout cycle. To meet the Seatopia Standard at Aquaculture 2.0, a feed diet includes a combination of algae oil, marine ingredients (fish meal and fish oil), high-protein plants (soy, pea, barley, corn or pistachio), essential amino acids, minerals and astaxanthin. Preventative antibiotics, hormones, GMOs and synthetic colouring agents are prohibited.

These feeds are built so the fish get the nutrition they need to produce good nutrition for humans: nutrient-dense, highly digestible, and balanced on protein, omega-3s, micronutrients and fats.

What's never in it?

Preventative antibiotics, hormones, GMOs and synthetic colouring agents are prohibited.

Why is there plant protein in fish feed?

Yes. Many of our farm partners include a percentage of high-protein, non-GMO plant meal such as soy, grains or legumes in their feed, particularly for omnivorous species or during early life stages.

Here is why. In the early days of aquaculture, what we call Aquaculture 1.0, feed was mostly fishmeal and fish oil. It was easy to produce and efficient for the fish, but it was not sustainable. Using plant proteins means less reliance on wild fishmeal while still giving fish bioavailable protein. Less wild fish in the feed also means more control over exposure to mercury, microplastics, parasites and other environmental toxins.

Seatopia exists to generate market demand for the next wave of feeds, what we call Aquaculture 3.0: species-appropriate ingredients rich in EPA and DHA, like algae, soldier fly protein and mycelium, that give fish what they need without relying on fishmeal. Some of our farms already use these ingredients and we are pushing for larger inclusions and full substitutions. Getting every partner there is the goal.

Are the fish dyed?

Post-harvest and unnatural colouring agents are strictly prohibited. Colour comes from the feed, not from anything added afterwards.

Astaxanthin is the carotenoid largely responsible for a salmon’s colour. It is a naturally occurring nutrient found in kelp, krill, shrimp, lobster and crab, and it reaches the fish through what it eats. Both wild and farmed salmon get their colour from astaxanthin in their diet. It is also what makes flamingos pink.

Lab Tested to Ensure It Meets the Seatopia Standard

Mt. Cook raises its king salmon in freshwater raceways fed by the Southern Alps. Every supplier is third-party tested for nutrition, mercury and microplastics, then randomly audited to ensure consistent compliance with the Seatopia Standard.

Our Alpine King Salmon tested at 800 mg EPA and 1,510 mg DHA, plus 69 mcg selenium, per 7 oz skin-on portion. Values vary by sample and season.

When we choose farm partners, we look for farms that manage animal health without antibiotics. Many of our farms have no need for them by design, which is the case with scallops and with many of our land-based recirculating farms. Others have transitioned away entirely: our Atlantic salmon partner, Bakkafrost, has used zero antibiotics since 2004.

In the rare case of a significant animal health threat, some of our farms reserve the right to use therapeutic antibiotics under veterinary guidance. If that happens, the fish are held for a mandatory withdrawal period so that no trace remains before harvest. Antibiotics on the World Health Organization’s list of drugs critically important to human medicine are not permitted.