We are excited to introduce several new items for sustainable seafood lovers from Lummi Island Wild Co-op!
Lummi Island Wild is a sustainable fishery because it uses an ethically sound method of supplying seafood without damaging an ecosystem and it has been awarded the highest rating from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch.
The fishery co-op was formed in 2002 when four reefnetters got together to market their salmon. Its mission is to promote the respectful and responsible harvesting of wild salmon and to protect the environment for future generations of fish and people.
“reefnets stand out as the original and still the best in selective fishing”
– Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
Reefnet fishing has been practiced for centuries by Native American tribes using cedar canoes and cedar nets to catch wild sockeye and other wild Pacific salmon. Though the boats have gotten a little bigger and winches are used to pull in the nylon net, this wild Pacific salmon fishing method has remained fundamentally unchanged.
Reefnetting has almost zero bycatch mortality—meaning for every 200 nontargeted or protected wild salmon caught and released only one will die. No other fishery approaches such a sustainable level.
Healthy, sustainable, wild, and solar powered!
In 2007 Lummi Island Wild launched a pilot solar-powered reefnet boat, making it the first solar-powered wild salmon fishery in the world! Now, the reefnet fleet is fully retrofitted and every salmon it brings to market is caught using power exclusively from the sun, distinguishing Lummi Island Wild as the model for sustainable salmon fishing.
Lightly Smoked Wild Keta Salmon Gift Boxes
Lummi Island Wild Co-op is dedicated to the preservation of wild salmon and to treating salmon with the respect they deserve as important indicators of environmental health. Its approach to fishing is truly sustainable. The fish are not treated as a commodity, but as a renewable resource that is respectfully harvested.
Choose from regular, garlic, or black pepper.
$23.99 (each box contains two–6 oz. pouches.)
Please note: gift boxes available only at the Downtown store.
Smoked Wild Salmon
Choose from two varieties—
Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon (4 ounces) $6.49
Sockeye salmon is often regarded as the favorite choice for salmon lovers, both for its robust flavor and its high omega-3 content.
Smoked Wild Keta Salmon (5 ounces) $6.39
Keta is a late-running fall salmon that is mild in flavor and robust in texture. It is perfect for a party or as an everyday staple.
Find them in the refrigerated meat case.
Northwest Albacore Tuna Medallions
Pioneer artisanal fisherman Paul Hill and his family sustainably harvest this albacore tuna along the Pacific Northwest coast and bring it to Bellingham to be processed. This sashimi-grade albacore is a naturally good source of omega-3 fatty acids, is high in protein, and is the cleanest tuna on Earth. The troll fishery received a “Best Buy” rating from Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.
Find it in the frozen meat case.
$7.49 (6 ounces)
Canned Albacore Tuna
Also caught by fisherman Paul Hill, this tuna comes in two varieties.
Albacore Tuna Ventresca (3.75 ounces) $7.49
Albacore Tuna (6 ounces) $6.99
Collaborating with Lummi Nation
As part of its mission to promote and protect the respectful harvesting of wild salmon, Lummi Island Wild (LIW) has been actively helping members of the Lummi Nation to build, deploy, and operate their own reefnet gear and site. 2016 marks the first time in more than 120 years that the tribal members have built and fished their own reefnet. This historic event took place at Cherry Point, a key ancestral location near Lummi Island. LIW expects to expand upon this initial collaboration, providing consultation where needed as part of the tribal initiative to bring this historic fishery back into the center of tribal culture.
Learn more about Lummi Island Wild Co-op
Visit visit lummiislandwild.com for additional information about this sustainable cooperative fishery, beautiful photos and videos, to meet the fishers.