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WHAT WE FISH

 Wild.Local.Sustainable

Swimming Scallops (January to March):

These 2–3 inch scallops—also known as Pink and Spiny Scallops—are harvested from the BC coast and sold whole. They can be enjoyed much like mussels or clams. Their naturally sweet flavour, balanced by oyster-like brininess and a subtle nutty note, makes them a versatile ingredient for steaming, frying, grilling, baking, or adding to soups and chowders.

They are harvested using an innovative Butterfly trawl, which received the Romeo LeBlanc Award for Responsible Fishing. This unique method takes advantage of the scallops’ natural swimming behaviour, keeping the net off the ocean floor and minimizing bycatch.  The fishery is managed with strict size limits, detailed catch logs, and conservative quotas designed to support long-term sustainability.

Our Swimming Scallops are recommended by Ocean Wise as a sustainable seafood choice.

Salmon (July to October):

Our wild BC salmon fishery focuses on Coho, Pink, and Chinook salmon harvested from the pristine waters of BC’s North Coast and Haida Gwaii. Harvested by hook-and-line trolling, these salmon are caught during their coastal migration and  are harvested at peak quality—rich in Omega oils, essential fats, and protein.  Handled with exceptional care from the moment they are brought aboard, they are promptly cleaned and flash-frozen at sea to preserve their freshness, texture, and flavour.

Trolling is one of the most selective fishing methods available, using barbless hooks that allow non-target species to be released with minimal impact. Combined with strict management measures, monitoring programs, and science-based regulations, this approach helps ensure the long-term sustainability of BC’s wild salmon stocks for future generations.

All our salmon is recommended by Ocean Wise as a sustainable seafood choice.

Lingcod (April to November):

A lean, mild white fish, lingcod is prized for its versatility in the kitchen—perfect for pan frying, baking, grilling, or classic fish and chips.

Our BC lingcod is harvested using a specialized hook-and-line trolling method designed to target lingcod while minimizing bycatch. A single line equipped with weighted hooks and floats is carefully fished along the coast, making it one of the most selective harvest methods available.

Each fish is individually handled, headed, gutted, and Frozen at Sea (FAS) shortly after harvest to lock in freshness, texture, and flavour. This careful handling process produces a premium-quality product that stands apart from typical store-bought alternatives.

Rich in protein and low in fat, lingcod offers a mild flavour and firm, flaky texture that makes it a favourite among chefs and home cooks alike.

The fishery is managed under strict regulations, including quotas, monitoring programs, and seasonal measures designed to support healthy fish populations and the long-term sustainability of BC’s marine resources.

Our lingcod is recommended by Ocean Wise as a sustainable seafood choice.

Halibut (March to December):

This lean, mild, and slightly sweet Pacific white fish is ideal for grilling, baking, poaching, or pan frying.

Most of our halibut is harvested aboard the WindDrift II (our cousin’s boat) using 1–2 km longline gear set in deep waters. Baited hooks are deployed along the ocean floor in known halibut grounds and monitored with onboard cameras. Each fish is carefully brought aboard, measured, and undersized fish are immediately released. This catch is then cleaned and packed on ice immediately after landing to preserve peak freshness until delivery.

A smaller portion of halibut is retained as bycatch during our lingcod season and is Frozen at Sea (FAS) immediately after harvest.

The fishery is managed under strict regulations, including individual fishing quotas (IFQs), catch limits, seasonal closures, logbook reporting, onboard monitoring, and dockside validation. These measures help ensure a highly controlled and sustainable fishery while maintaining exceptional product quality.

Our halibut is recommended by Ocean Wise as a sustainable seafood choice.

Frequently asked questions

How to Order

We have scallops in cold storage year round.  The remainder of our fish is sold by pre-order.  Prior to each season we send an email out to our regular wholesale clients and to our email list to let you know we are accepting orders.

Wholesale:

Please send us an email of what products you are interested. We will contact you with pricing and shipping options.  Go to Wholesale Contact form here

 

Email List:

Vancouver Island – We offer pick up in Courtenay, BC.  We will contact you when your fish is ready to pick up with details on where and when.  Payment is accepted at time of pick up.

BC/Alberta – We are planning 2 trips per year from Vancouver – Kelowna – Nelson – Calgary – Edmonton.  One trip in the spring to sell lingcod, halibut, and scallops and a second trip in the fall to sell salmon and scallops.  We are happy to meet up with folks anywhere along that route.  We will send an email out when we are collecting orders for the AB trip.

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Why Frozen at Sea?

Frozen at Sea is considered some of the highest quality seafood available short of catching it yourself and eating it right away.  Freezing at sea is done for a variety of reasons.  It allows the boat to stay at sea longer making fishing more economical.  Fresh fish needs to be delivered within 5-7 days (within 72 hours for scallops), while freezer boats can stay out as long as there is room in the hold, food in the fridge and fuel in the tanks.  Frozen at Sea fish also prevents deterioration of the fish, which is particularly important for very perishable species like scallops.   

When we freeze at sea, we clean the fish and place them on freezer plates which flash freeze them in a matter of hours.  The same process would take a day or more in a household freezer.  When a fish is slowly frozen, water in the tissues will expand and burst the cell tissues and damage the muscle which, in turn, creates mushy fish.  Flash freezing occurs so fast that this process is prevented.  There are many articles about the value and quality of frozen at sea fish.  The important part for us is that by flash freezing our fish within hours of being caught, your fish is as “fresh” as you can get, providing you the best quality fish our ocean provides. 

How we set our whole fish and filleted fish prices:

We set our prices based on the market value of the whole fish.  Many folks aren’t comfortable handling a whole fish so we take our whole fish into our local fish processor to be filleted and vacuum packed, providing you with convenient portions.  Each fish has a different yield, which is the amount of fish you get back after processing.  For example lingcod have a yield of ~50-55% and salmon have a yield of ~75%.  Our prices are set based on the original whole fish price per pound plus the processing costs.

How to know what we are selling

To find out what we are selling, head over to our “Direct From Fisherman” page which will show was we are currently accepting orders for. Better yet, join our email list to be the first to know when we are accepting orders, when our boat is on its way in, and when you can expect the fish to be ready to pick up.

When are different products available?

Scallops: We maintain a stock of scallops year round in cold storage. We fish in the winter, mostly from January to March to replenish our stock.

Lingcod, Halibut and Salmon – We only bring in what is ordered plus a little extra to sell. Once we run out, that is it for the year so make sure to stock up those freezers when you can.

When it is available:
Lingcod: While lingcod is open from April to November, we primarily fish it in April/May.

Halibut: We fish halibut on our cousin’s boat the WindDriftII . Halibut is open from March to December, however we do most of our fishing in June.

Salmon -We fish salmon in July-September, depending on what is open for us in a given year.

Who catches the fish?

We do!! All products we sell were caught by us. Joel owns and operates our boat the FV Lisa Jess. Sometimes we go out as a family, kids in tow; sometimes it’s just Melissa and Joel; and other times Joel takes 1-2 crew members. With the exception of halibut, we fish everything from our boat. Halibut is fished on Joel’s cousin’s boat, the WindDriftII. Joel goes out with his cousin Corey and a crew of 2-3 people.

How is the fish packaged?

Each product is packaged a little different:

  • Scallops are packaged in 10 lb boxes.  The scallops are sold whole, frozen in their shells.  We do offer 2 lb boxes on occasion throughout email list.  The scallops are loose inside the box making it easy to grab however many you want for dinner
  • Lingcod and Salmon – we offer both whole and filleted salmon and lingcod.  Whole salmon and lingcod is “dressed”, which means it will have its head off and guts removed.  The fish is thoroughly cleaned and frozen at sea.  It’s been cleaned and frozen at sea. Whole fish is available shortly after we come into port.  The rest of our fish is taken to Campbell River Seafoods to be filleted,vacuum packaged and frozen.  The fillets are typically between 1-2 lbs depending in the size of the fish.  
  • Halibut – we only offer filleted halibut.  Halibut is cleaned at sea and packed in ice, then brought in fresh.  We take it Campbell River Seafoods to be filleted,vacuum packaged and frozen.

How do we cook your seafood?

We have a variety of cooking tips and easy to make recipes on our recipe page. Head over to see what recipe tickles your fancy. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send us an email. We understand that seafood can be intimidating but we aim to make your experience as easy and delicious as possible.