FAQs
Why do you take a deposit?
For our whole fresh fish we want to ensure the fish we are bringing have a guaranteed home to go to. In the past we have had people order fish and then not pick them up. While our family loves to eat fish, if even a few people do that it leaves us with way more fish than we can eat. If for any reason we are unable to catch your fish we will return your deposit in full.
Why do you sometimes truck the fish down island?
It takes about 24 hours to get from Port Hardy (where the boat offloads fish) to Nanaimo by boat. Often the boat is doing a quick turn around between fishing trips and doesn’t have time to come all the way down and then back up again. Not to mention, in an effort to remain an eco-friendly operation, we’re conscious of the fuel consumption of the boat versus the truck.
We do two trips down in the boat a year so we can bring fish to our more remote coastal communities (Sointula, Powell River and Hornby Island).
Do you have a price list?
Our prices fluctuate as the fish markets shift and change. With every order form we will send our current pricing so you can make an informed decision as you are ordering your fish. Our fish wish list has the ranges you can expect for the season. You can find our fish wish list here.
Where are your pickup locations?
On trips we truck the fish down, we have pickups in the Comox Valley, Parksville, Nanaimo and Duncan.
When we bring the boat down twice a year (usually once in May and once in October) we stop in Sointula, Powell River, Hornby Island, French Creek and Nanaimo.
When do you sell fillets?
We’ll have periodic pickups from the Nanaimo Harbour and Parksville. We will email our fillet list folks and post to social media when we are holding these. Email us at sales@islandwildseafoods.ca if you are interested in a pickup.
We also offer delivery to other areas on Vancouver Island for larger orders.
Are the fish frozen?
All of our whole fresh fish come on flaked ice. The Blue Bayou doesn’t have a freezer on board (yet) so we only offer our whole fish fresh. With a lot of our lingcod and rock cod, Jordan will keep the fish live in a tank on the boat until he gets to harbour, allowing us to offer even fresher products to our customers.
Our whole tuna is caught by a good friend of Jordan’s and is frozen at sea minutes after it is caught.
Our fish fillets are flash frozen as soon as the fish are processed (cut up). This allows for the highest quality fish.
Are the fish sustainably caught?
All the fish we catch are caught by hook and line with minimal bycatch (fisherman speak for catching fish you don’t mean to catch). The groundfish (halibut, lingcod, sablefish and rock cod) on the coast of British Columbia are managed using an integrated quota management system. This system is where fishermen need to own or lease quota in order to catch the fish. Every fish they catch is tracked and counted. The quotas are managed for all fishing sectors (draggers, hook and line fishers…) to ensure on a whole the industry isn’t taking more fish than is sustainable. Each year the Department of Fisheries and Oceans conducts scientific research to update the quota allowances. Each boat has a total allowable catch and and the boats have 24/7 video monitoring to ensure the counts of fish align with what the cameras see being pulled from the water.
Don’t see an answer to your question?
Email us at sales@islandwildseafoods.ca and we’ll be happy to answer any other questions you have.