Responsible sourcing is highly important to us at SeaBear. As individuals, we are personally dedicated to sustainability in how we live and work, and as a company we know that well-managed fisheries and healthy ecosystems are critical to our long-term ability to serve our customers, and our overall sustainability as a business. So, we approach responsible sourcing through a number of approaches:
- We source the overwhelming majority of our wild salmon from Alaska – all of which carries the global sustainable seafood certification of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
- The crab supply source we proudly partner with – a 5 generation family operation -- is wholly dedicated to sustainable, responsible fishing practices. The Golden King Crab fishery is carefully managed through outstanding collaboration among the fleet, biologists, state agencies and native groups. Using a data-driven approach, the fishing quota is set each year to ensure a healthy population for future generations.
- The trout we offer is farmed – as is all commercially available trout – and we proudly source ours primarily from Riverence Farms in Idaho. These trout, raised alongside the Snake River, are rated as a Monterey Bay Seafood Watch "Best Choice" green option. Riverence is celebrated for their land-based farming techniques and responsible aquaculture, and as such carry a range of environmental certifications for their fish. Additionally, sourcing from a U.S. location avoids the substantial transportation impact of imported trout (which is highly common).
- Our Gerard & Dominique brand features both wild salmon and farmed Atlantic salmon --- chefs Dominique Place and Gerrard Parrat chose the Atlantic for their signature European Style lox because of the way it takes the smoke, and its mouthfeel, replicating the culinary experience of the great lox products of Europe. We source these Atlantic salmon from well-managed, BAP (Best Aquaculture Practices) certified responsible Pacific Ocean farms.
- As we develop new products and look to add new species of seafood, we are guided by both the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list, as well as the World Wildlife Fund list of responsible seafood choices.
- We also make sure to find uses for the whole fish so nothing is wasted – even the backbones and non-usable trim pieces that come out of production get used by partner firms for pet food and other uses.
- A number of our items are also certified by Project NONGMO to be made without genetically modified ingredients. We are wholly dedicated to this.
Finally, beyond just the fish, it is important to note we are quite cognizant of the shipping containers we use for delivery of our seafood offerings. Overwhelmingly, the items we ship to consumers across the U.S. that require dry ice or other coolants are shipped in Coldkeeper bags and boxes, completely avoiding the use of Styrofoam coolers. For the handful of items which still require us to use styros, we are currently moving to Eco Box coolers, meaningfully more recyclable vs. standard styros.
We recognize responsible sourcing and a commitment to sustainable practices is an ongoing journey. Regularly scrutinizing our line – raw materials, finished products, packaging – with an eye toward continuous improvement is an ongoing and important activity for us at SeaBear Smokehouse. We are proud of what we do today, and know there are always opportunities to keep moving forward.
Mike Mondello, President
Tara Hoskinson, Sales Manager