Fun Facts
Researchers at the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility and industry partners have raised Arctic char in biosecure indoor recirculating systems in Wisconsin. Wisconsin farm-raised Arctic char are not raised at a commercial scale at this time. Although wild Arctic char can be harvested in the northern Arctic regions of North America, Europe and northeastern Russia, most arctic char sold in U.S. grocery stores and restaurants come from fish farms in Iceland and Norway. They are are mostly raised in tanks and raceways onshore, which discharge less pollution and are less likely to let fish and parasites escape than net pens.
Arctic char belongs to the Salmonidae family, and it is related to both salmon and trout. Its closest relatives are bull trout, lake trout and brook trout, all members of the genus Salvelinus.