National retailer Target chose to drop farmed salmon from its stores this past month, garnering cheers from the 140,000 members of Trout Unlimited, the nation's largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization.

"Target's decision has set a precedent for other national retailers and will hopefully encourage others to do the same," noted Trout Unlimited's Alaska program director, Tim Bristol.

On Jan. 26, Target announced it was taking farmed salmon out of all 1,744 of its stores nationwide and will be carrying wild Alaskan salmon in its place.

Farmed salmon have been a controversial food product for years with growing scrutiny and concerns about how farmed salmon are produced, and the negative impacts the industry is having on wild salmon stocks and local marine ecosystems around the world. Trout Unlimited has been working over the past several years to educate salmon consumers, chefs and retailers around the country about their salmon choices, and why wild salmon is the healthiest choice for both people and the environment. Trout Unlimited agrees with Target's decision to source Alaska salmon in place of farmed, since Alaska is currently the largest and most sustainable producer of wild salmon thanks to its sound fisheries management and intact, high-quality salmon habitat.

Through its WhyWild Program, Trout Unlimited will be encouraging its thousands of members to "vote with their fork" and salmon dollars at Target, and to thank Target for investing its dollars in Alaska's sustainable salmon fisheries and pristine salmon habitat.

"Target is not only supporting healthy ecosystems and healthy fisheries, but it's also supporting American jobs and the American economy by sourcing its salmon from our nation's domestic fisheries," added Bristol. "This is [a] great step in the right direction."