There was an interesting article by the WDF Director (or whatever the agency was back then) before 1920 about the developing fishery for immature salmon at the mouth of the Columbia and into the ocean. He was opposed to it for a variety of reasons. One interesting reason was that the fish were less fit to eat. They ran physical/chemical analysis of the ocean caught fish versus in-river adults-including fish at a hatchery. The conclusion they reached was that the adults were higher quality; less water, more fat, and a few other constituents. One thing they weren't was bright silver.

I fully agree with Doc that fisheries should be terminal. They are mature, bigger, of rather well known stock. They are cheaper (ecologically) to catch. I would love to see in (blind) analysis of total nutritional quality.

Way back when I was in college Doc Donaldson liked to tell about a taste test run with his trout. All fed exactly the same food except for colorings added. The North American tasters were convinced that the red trout tasted better; the Northern Europeans believed it was the white. Their eyes over-ruled their taste buds.