Sustainable Wild Seafood & Responsibly Farmed Seafood

For a brief time, Naramata Inn was not carrying wild BC salmon on our menu. The Minister of Fisheries announced the closure of 60 percent of BC salmon runs earlier this summer, signaling the necessity to hit pause and do our own due diligence to get a better understanding of the situation. Fisheries, like all food systems, are complicated. 

Through consultation with trusted colleagues in the industry I learned that closing the majority of salmon fishing opportunities does not mean that all BC salmon fisheries are not sustainable. In fact, those fisheries that remain open are managed very conservatively using science and abundance, in consultation with First Nations, harvesters, and stakeholders to ensure responsible use.

Fishing families and businesses who are doing all the right things deserve our support. Not buying BC salmon from legal, abundant, and well-managed fisheries hurts fishers and their coastal communities.

As a result, I’ve made an important update to our menus. We now offer a more flexible approach to seafood by creating two unique categories -  sustainable wild seafood, and responsibly farmed seafood.

The daily fish options will depend on the best option available. Right now, we’re thrilled to offer wild Skeena sockeye, a salmon that was gillnet harvested for the Skeena River  test fishery by Richard Krismansen aboard his boat, the Skeena Dawn. Krismansen’s job is to gather scientific data for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to reach evidence-based decisions on whether or not to further open fishing opportunities for food, ceremonial, recreational, and commercial opportunities.

We are proud to serve this salmon on our menu. When future opportunities to carry wild BC  salmon arise, we will be proud to serve that as well.  We eat in the spirit of partnering with Mother Nature, we enjoy what is locally available in abundance each season.  

We are also proud to support the hard-working people harvesting sustainable seafood on our coast by paying them a fair price for their catch and encourage others to do the same. Buy your wild BC salmon from trusted sources, i.e.  directly from fishers who are harvesting legally, and from reputable fishmongers like Jon and Ann-Marie at Codfathers in Kelowna or from the Community Supported Fishery, Skipper Otto and their four dozen fishing families. 

Fishers, farmers and their families are my food heroes. We have them to thank, celebrate and support for doing what it takes, day-in and day-out, to bring responsible, nutritious and delicious food to our collective dinner tables.  

BC Wild Salmon Resources: https://www.fisheriesforcommunities.org/bc-wild-salmon-resources/