FROM THE SHORE TO YOUR DOOR

SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD BY ORGANIC OCEAN

Organic Ocean, Canada’s premier brand of wild and responsibly sourced seafood, was established in Vancouver and recently expanded to a 12,000 square foot federally registered facility in the fishing hub of Steveston. A group of like-minded fishers - including Founder and CEO Dane Chauvel - began working on the concept in 2003. Five years later the company was transformed from an experiment to a business. “At the beginning, we worked collaboratively on selling our fish direct to the general public,” says Dane, “When the culinary world figured out they could get sustainably harvested seafood direct from the source, word spread rapidly and before too long we were supplying seafood from coast to coast.”

Before the pandemic in 2020 they were providing seafood to some of the most influential chefs running the kitchens in the finest restaurants in Canada, the U.S., and Southeast Asia. “With a presence in Southeast Asia, we were among the first to figure out the pandemic was coming our way and that it could have a severe impact on our market,” says Dane.

"Everything we supply is required to meet or exceed the highest sustainable and socially responsible production standards.”

Based on what they saw happening in Wuhan, Dane says their team prepared for the worst and began exploring options to keep the seafood supply chain flowing. “We had in fact, trialed a direct-to-consumer program a few years previous but abandoned it when we couldn’t figure out how to make the logistics work,” says Dane, “given the evolution of e-commerce, we determined we could build an online store and adapt our shipping capability to home delivery.”

In April of 2020, they launched their direct-to-consumer initiative and began delivering seafood to homes in and around the Lower Mainland. They saw this as an extension of their original objective to improve the supply chain by connecting producers with consumers and, in the process, generating and distributing value to both. Organic Ocean recently expanded the program to offer next day delivery service to every province from B.C. through to and including Quebec. “This provides customers across the nation with access to the same seafood that to this point, has been largely exclusive to those who live on the west coast,” says Dane.

Most of Organic Ocean’s products are harvested or produced in British Columbia, with the odd out-of-province sourcing of items that are not available locally. “We source from wild capture fisheries, Indigenous harvesters, and from responsible aquaculturists,” says Dane, "Everything we supply is required to meet or exceed the highest sustainable and socially responsible production standards.” As a Certified B Corporation and member of 1% for the Planet, Organic Ocean is triple bottom line focused, meaning they are as committed to environmentally and socially responsible business conduct as they are to profitable operation.

TAKING CARE

“In addition to taking care of our customers, staff, and suppliers, we knew there were others who stood to be impacted by the pandemic and for whom there would be significant need but little support,” says Dane. That was when they decided to create the “Neighbours Helping Neighbours” program through which they’ve made significant donations of seafood to non-profit and charitable organizations which prepare meals for the community’s most vulnerable. “This program has grown in scope and has been extended to help Ocean Wise, the Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation, Chefs for Families, A Loving Spoonful, Goodly Foods Society, and The Stop Community Food Centre, among others,” says Dane.

image: Dane Chauvel, Organic Ocean's Founder and CEO

CHEF ROBERT CLARK'S STEAMED WILD PACIFIC SALMON

INGREDIENTS

• 4 portions wild salmon

• 1 small red onion, sliced

• 1 whole lemon, zest and juice

• 1 whole orange, zest and juice

• 1 tsp toasted sesame seed oil

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

METHOD

On a double sheet of aluminum foil, lay out the sliced onions, placing the salmon portions skin side down, on top . Zest over the lemon and orange on top of the salmon, drizzle with the sesame seed oil and soy sauce.

Fold up the sides of the foil to make a pouch.

Bake the fish at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until the salmon is just slightly underdone. The residual heat will continue to cook the fish.

Serve over rice or salad, drizzle the lemon and orange juice over the fish just as you serve it.

Chef Robert Clark, C.M. provided these recipes for the benefit of those who have received the seafood hampers donated to families through the Growing Chefs program.

Find more recipes and preparation tips create your next seafood feast at organicocean.com

From fine dining to your own kitchen, Organic Ocean provides sustainably sourced, responsibly produced, high-quality seafood and exceptional service. We highly recommend checking them out for their next day delivery now available across Canada.

See what Organic Ocean has to offer at organicocean.com

Story by Sierra Simpson