APRIL 2016
H
business elite canada
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Ocean Wise recommended, which is a
certification program demonstrating that
fish are harvested in a sustainable manner.
“We’re targeting only healthy fish popu-
lations, we’re not taking too many, we’re
catching the fish that we’re aiming for,”
Ross explained.
RiverFresh fishers pay particular attention
to limiting what in fishery terms is referred
to as by-catch. This term refers to fish that
are caught alongside targeted fish and of-
tentimes, the by-catch is comprised of en-
dangered or threatened species.
In the B.C. Interior, Coho salmon is a spe-
cies at risk. Consequently, RiverFresh has
designed their fisheries to minimize Coho
by-catch. In order to meet demands, Riv-
erFresh supplements its inventory with
ocean-caught Coho salmon that are not at
risk, ensuring happy customers and pre-
serving a strong aquatic ecosystem.
RiverFresh also responds to consumer
concerns with its ‘no-no policy’ towards
selling farmed salmon, due to the numer-
ous health and ethical issues associated
with these fish. “We only offer wild-caught
seafood products for sale,” said Ross.
All salmon are obtained by RiverFresh staff
from local sources. As the company is
committed to traceability, educating cus-
tomers about the origins of the salmon
they are consuming is imperative. From a
business perspective, it is highly advanta-
geous to stay close to the Kamloops home
base — fishing locally is cost-effective,
cuts transportation costs and entails mini-
mal involvement from various brokers and
middlemen. All in all, local supply creates
both self-sufficiency and closer ties with
the community for RiverFresh.
PROUD TO BE NATIVE
“We’re quite a proud Aboriginal company
… we’re trying to incorporate a stronger
cultural aspect into our packaging and mar-
“Both our economy around fishing and our First Nations culture are being
rebuilt through this project.”
