The Search for Sustainability

Growing up on the coast we witnessed the complete self-destruction of commercial fishing.  The local harbors are nearly empty of fishing vessels.  Wasteful fishing practices have been widely publicized.  Our business model is based on sustainable fishing practices...it must be to survive.  All of our fish are hook and line caught.  We do not have by-catch with the exception of fish that must be returned due to regulations.  Eating everything we catch is also not the answer.  We believe in managing the entire ecosystem.  

Change

We work in fisheries that are well controlled and others that are in trouble.  Our goal is to find a sustainable model in each, first for the fish, and hopefully the fishermen.   We recognize that most fisheries are overcapitalized and what is left of the large scale operations will most likely not survive.  Our hope is that a small traditional group of fishermen can make a living.  The regulators have recently taken drastic action for some species and we hope to find our place in their plan to bring the stocks back to sustainable levels.  The result is that we will only catch a limited amount of some species and they will only be available at a limited level.  Meeting long term sustainability goals comes first and meeting demand must come second.

Eliminating By-catch

Catching fish with no commercial value and throwing them back dead is simply wasteful and wrong.  In addition to following the regulations, we also review our harvesting practices to ensure that we are not harming sea turtles, birds, and other wildlife. 

Eliminating Discards

Otherwise quality fish can be damaged or spoiled when proper handling methods are not followed.  Since all we do is sashimi grade fish, by default, our harvesting and shipping techniques are well above industry norms and any guidelines for fish.

Utilize the entire fish

We believe in traditional ways of utilizing the entire fish, not just the fillets.  Our fish are delivered whole.  The chefs we supply have recipes for every part of the fish and they routinely make their own stocks from what is left.  We target restaurants that serve the higher quality and flavor choices that our fish can provide.  

Sustainability -

Our cost of harvesting wild fish is many times that of the mass produced catch.  We believe it is the only way to have true sashimi grade fish.  It is worth the extra effort for a sustainable business and fishery management model.