Shellfish Scoop- Spot Prawns

Spot prawns are the largest of the 7 species of shrimp that are commercially harvested here in BC waters. Though we refer to them as a prawn, they are biologically classified as shrimp. Spot prawns are prized here locally as well as overseas. They get their name from their distinctive white spots on their shell, two on each side. The other commercially sought-after species include Humpback, Sidestripe, Coonstripe or dock shrimp, spiny pink shrimp, smooth pink shrimp and flexed pink shrimp. 

Spot prawns are hermaphrodites, starting their lives as male and turning female later in their life cycle. Spot prawns live on a four-year life cycle. They spend the first 2 years of their lives as males, and then the males reproduce once and gradually transition to females in the third year of their life cycle. After they transition, females will reproduce and they carry eggs for 6 months before they hatch. 

The spot prawn season is on average 50 days long. The spot prawn fishery has been designed around the unique life cycle of the spot prawn, with harvesting occurring during the spring when the lowest number of egg-bearing females will be caught. Breeding occurs in the summer, egg bearing occurs in the fall and egg hatching occurs in the winter. The commercial fishing season is opened no earlier than May 1st to ensure that the prawns have time to grow large before the harvesting season begins. 

Female spot prawns that carry roe are called ‘berried prawns’ due to the berry-like appearance of their small, brightly-coloured eggs. The monitoring of the count of spawning females plays a crucial role in fishery management, referred to as the Spawner Index. When numbers of egg-bearing females caught in traps fall below set levels, the fishery will start closing fishing areas. All berried spot prawns must be returned to the water as per British Columbia prawn fishery regulations. This ensures that the species can reproduce to protect the longevity of spot prawns here on our Pacific coast. 

Between 80 and 90 percent of our BC spot prawn catches are exported to Asia as they are highly sought after for their unique texture and sweet flavour. Their taste is similar to that of Atlantic lobster; sweet and slightly briny. These prawns are caught in the wild by traps, making the fishery sustainable with minimal by-catch. The traps are made with mesh that have holes large enough for the prawns to enter the traps for bait, but too small for crabs and larger critters trying to enter these traps. Spot prawn traps are designed to lower the impact of ghost fishing. These traps open when their cords rot, preventing any critters from being trapped in unused fishing equipment. Spot prawns are also sorted one trap at a time to remove any by-catch, undersized or spawning prawns, which are immediately returned to the ocean. 

Each line has 50 traps attached to it and they are tossed one at a time, and these traps can only be hauled up once per day. This haul must occur between the hours of 7am-7pm. The majority of spot prawns in BC are harvested between Vancouver Island and the mainland. A maximum of 300 traps can be set per harvester per day. 

When you buy prawns, you want to look for lively prawns that appear lighter in colour, almost translucent. The reddish colour of some prawns can be due to them deteriorating in condition from exposure to oxygen. Your prawns should be firm to the touch when raw. Most fish sellers, including Finest’s retail counter, will sell prawns as either a live product or processed into tails. Live prawns are always a great option; they can be cooked whole or processed. The spot prawn heads make an excellent stock or bisque, and they can even be fried and eaten! The heads contain antioxidants, collagen, zinc and vitamins. Spot prawns themselves offer a great source of lean protein while containing Omega-3s, and they contain an antioxidant called astaxanthin which supports eye, skin, heart and muscle health.  

Fresh spot prawns are best purchased the same day of cooking, especially when live, because they can spoil quickly. If the prawns die before you have cooked them or removed their heads, an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase found in the heads of the spot prawns, which is the same enzyme responsible for fruit browning, will break down the meat of the spot prawns and turn the heads black. This significantly reduces the quality of your spot prawns. If you will need to keep your live prawns for more than 4-6 hours in the fridge, we recommend taking the heads off. You can remove a spot prawn’s head by gripping the prawn’s body with one hand and twisting and pulling the head off with your other hand. Frozen spot prawns can be bought ahead of cooking, as we freeze them in sea water to protect the prawns from freezer burn. Thaw these by placing the container in a cold water bath, and they should be ready to cook in about an hour.

Spot prawns are best when cooked in the shell. The shell imparts its flavour onto the meat during the cooking process, as well as locking in moisture and protecting the delicate flesh from overcooking. Spot prawns are particularly prone to a mushy or rubbery texture when overcooked, and since they are wild, either fresh or frozen-at-sea can be eaten sashimi-style, so it's best to undercook these as opposed to overcooking. Spot prawns are cooked in 1-3 minutes, whether you like to pan-fry them in garlic butter, poach them, pour boiling broth over them or grill them. To make the peeling process easier, you can snip the spot prawn shells with kitchen shears down the back of their tail before cooking and the shells will peel much easier. 

Finest at Sea hosts an epic spot prawn celebration every year during the season, bringing local chefs down to create signature spot prawn delicacies, live music, a bouncy castle and loads more fun! If you find yourself in Vancouver during the spot prawn season, check out the annual Spot Prawn Festival for bisque or brunch.

Trolling vs. Trawling: Know the Difference

How our fish is caught makes a difference in the quality and the sustainability of our products, and Finest at Sea strives to be a leader locally in sustainable fishing practices. Every fishing company or family will use their own unique catching methods, but not all fishing methods are made equally, and just because something is marketed as sustainable does not mean that it is the best choice for the planet and for you. It is best to source your catch from suppliers that are transparent on product origins and catch methods. At Finest at Sea, 100% known origin is a key pillar of our company. We handle this product from the moment it comes out of the sea, through the transportation process, to being filleted and to the moment it is wrapped in paper and travelling home to your fridge. Two very different fishing methods happen to have very similar names, so here we will break down the difference in trawling and trolling fishing methods and why these fishing methods are not equal. 

Trawling is a non-selective fishing method that involves the use of large nets that drag in the water behind the fishing vessel that scoops up anything the vessel passes by. Trawling nets drag up starfish, seabirds, sharks, rays, and even whales. Trawlers discard 23% of their catch. These creatures will not be taken to market but are often injured or killed during encounters with trawling vessels. 150,000 lbs of living seafloor, which includes corals and sponges, are destroyed by trawling nets every year. These nets drag across the ocean floor, not discerning between different forms of ocean life and collecting everything in their path. Some nets used for commercial trawling can be the size of a football field. 

Though you cannot see the effects that happen on a cellular level, up to 80% of microorganisms that live on the ocean floor are destroyed during the disruption that the dragging nets cause. Trawling nets can even contribute to something called marine deforestation, where kelp forests and other marine forest life are destroyed, which are important habitats and hiding places for ocean critters. Trawling disrupts the seabed, which has devastating effects on our climate. As the ocean is a carbon sink, trawling activities heavily disrupt carbon stores at the sea floor. The disruption can release between 0.5 and 1.5 gigatons of CO2 from the seabed, half of which travels to our atmosphere and the other half of which contributes to the ocean’s acidification. These activities release more carbon than the global aviation industry as a whole. 

Fisheries have minimum size requirements for most species and if these bycatch don’t reach the size requirements for allowable catch, they will need to be tossed back into the water. Allowable catch sizes are set to help ensure that undersized fish, which are young and often have not had the chance to spawn yet in their lifetime, are able to reproduce before they are caught for food. This is to ensure that a species ability to survive and reproduce for future generations is protected. However, many bycatch fish are killed anyway due to injury, so best practice for fishers is to reduce bycatch as much as possible. 

Trolling is a selective fishing method that allows fishers to attract and catch only the target species. Fishermen use baited hooks and tow them on a line behind their fishing vessel, attracting specific species with different baits like squid or hake. These fish are then caught, removed from these hooks and immediately stunned, bled and gutted for immediate transport to the vessel’s onboard flash freezers. Only one fish is hooked at a time, reducing bycatch levels to next to none. 

Finest vessels, namely FV Scania Queen, use trolling catch methods for catching salmon. Every summer, our owner Bob takes a crew of young fishers out on his vessel to learn trolling catch methods near Haida Gwaii. At Finest at Sea, we do not use trawling fishing methods on any of our vessels. We believe that all of our actions should have intention, especially on our waters. Using selective fishing methods ensures that we take what is needed and no more; a responsibility that fishers across the world should all consider. 

Fish Focus - Albacore Tuna

There are fifteen species of tuna in the world's oceans, but only one species of tuna is the prize here on the coast of British Columbia- the albacore tuna. Albacore tuna is a fantastic fish for seafood lovers of all varieties. Considered to be a highly versatile fish for eating raw, seared or fully cooked, this fish is high in proteins and Omega-3 fatty acids. Referred to by fishermen as ‘chicken of the sea’, its mild flavour and firm texture makes it a staple from cans to sashimi.  

Albacore tuna is considered to be a highly sustainable fishery as they are caught using hook-and-line methods, or trolling, which is how FAS vessels catch tuna. This ensures there is very little bycatch as only one fish can be hooked at a time. Finest at Sea’s albacore tuna is rated a ‘Best Choice’ for sustainability by Seafood Watch, as we catch them via trolling. Albacore are considered to be valuable and can be subject to “pirate fishing” or illegally fishing these beautiful tuna without the correct licenses. This is often accomplished using prohibited methods of fishing that are not sustainable and deplete fish stocks at unprecedented levels. This also does harm to fishers that follow the regulations of their licenses and fisheries.

These fish are a highly migratory species, meaning they travel far distances across the Pacific ocean. This also means that these fish need to be caught in open seas, far from shore. These fish can weigh between 10-100 pounds and usually live for 10-12 years. They have large eyes and a strong eyesight so they are able to see and catch prey. 

Loining these tuna can be a large task, especially on a commercial scale, and some fish cutters (Finest at Sea included) use bandsaws to loin these fish, as their blades can cut through the frozen fish so it does not need to be thawed to be processed into loins or portions that will be vacuum-sealed for customers. Keeping these fish in their frozen state during processing is the best handling for sashimi-grade fish, so these frozen loins we have in our retail display freezer are perfect for sushi. 

We sell this fish in our retail market as full or partial loins frozen and vacuum-sealed, canned with a regular and smoked option, cold smoked and hand-sliced or prepared as a house seared tuna tataki. Our cold smoked tuna is a signature recipe of Bob, our owner, and once you try a bite, you will know why it has stuck around for as long as Bob has been in business. The fattiness leaves the luscious tuna loins glossy, smoky and soft, prepared in the style of lox. Try it on a bagel with capers, with crème fraîche on a cucumber slice with dill or on top of a salad or a poke bowl.

Shellfish Scoop - Salt Spring Island Mussels

In 1996, Salt Spring Island Mussels was founded. These mussels are started at their hatchery as seed and are moved to their nurseries to grow and eventually are transferred to the mussel farms in the cold Pacific. These mussels are a hybrid species between the ‘Gallo’ mussel, a highly sought-after mussels species native to the Mediterranean and popular in France, Spain and Italy, and the blue mussel, which is native to the Northern Atlantic. 

These mussels are farmed in the waters near the Discovery Islands, as the waters are high in nutrients from ocean current movements and nearby runoff from streams and rivers, making an excellent place for shellfish to grow and thrive. The result is a beautifully coloured and shaped shell with a fresh flavour and high fill of meat inside each shell, making these mussels prized worldwide.

Mussels are cultivated, as are most mollusks in British Columbia, and the Salt Spring Island mussels are grown in the water attached to ropes that are attached to floating rafts. The mussels start as larvae and are fed phytoplankton while they are growing from seed and preparing to be transported to the farm location, and when that occurs, they attach themselves to the ropes, which are made of biodegradable fibers, using byssus attachments, thread-like structures that bind them to these ropes. 

The team at the mussel farms put a lot of work into maintaining the farm’s pristine conditions, including cleaning and maintaining predator nets that protect the mussels and phytoplankton they feed on from bird and fish predators, maintaining the rafts that mussels grow from, and frequently diving to get a look at the condition of the farms from underwater and ensure all is well below the surface. 

Finest at Sea brings in Salt Spring Island mussels every week from our shellfish suppliers, and we keep them in our live tanks which are specialized to maintain the ocean’s temperature, salinity, and PH levels, and the water circulates, oxygenating the water and keeping the shellfish alive. When you purchase mussels in our retail market, they come straight out of the live tanks and into your shopping bag, though we will always leave their bags open so they can access oxygen while you get them home to your fridge. 

Mussels are an excellent source of lean protein and they contain a variety of essential vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B12. Mussels must be cooked when they are live and you want to make sure they are open when you eat them, but since they come straight from our tanks to your table, they should all open in your pan and taste fresh. Our staff enjoy them with garlic and white wine, with a side of fries or crusty bread. Try Chef Anna’s preparation for a classic dish inspired by French cuisine that highlights and centers the flavour of the mussel.

What is "Sashimi-Grade"?

High quality sushi fish makes all the difference for any true sushi-lover. When buying sushi fish, you want to be looking for what is called “sashimi-grade” or “sushi-grade” fish. But what does sashimi-grade really even mean? In its simplest definition, sashimi-grade means that the retailer intends for this fish to be eaten raw.

Sashimi-grade is a marketing term used to describe fish that is suitable to eat raw, but this term is actually not regulated by any governing agency and is used primarily to promote products for raw use by retailers. This term is usually measured by retailers in terms of food safety processes applied to the fish rather than descriptors like taste, colour or smell, though you should check your sushi fish for these qualities before preparing as well. If handled properly, your frozen-at-sea sushi fish should come out tasting as fresh as it would have straight from the open seas. 

Typically, sashimi-grade should refer to fish that has been flash-frozen to kill any potential parasites that you are at risk of from eating any raw fish. Once this freezing process is complete, the fish can be thawed to eat raw. Most sellers will keep these products frozen so the consumer can choose when to thaw and consume their raw seafood product, keeping the product’s quality intact. Raw seafood is best eaten the day of thawing and can be eaten the day after thawing as well. 

At Finest at Sea, flash-freezing fish at-sea is what we do best. This process is the ideal handling and best practice for sushi-grade fish, as the quality of the fresh fish is preserved when it is stunned, bled and flash frozen within an hour of catching. Sashimi grade is often used by sellers to denote that the product being sold is of the utmost quality. Purchasing frozen-at-sea fish ensures the quality of the fish when thawed will be the same as the quality of the fish when it was caught.

Flash-frozen or frozen-at-sea fish should be stored vacuum-sealed or airtight to preserve the high quality until the time when you want to thaw the fish for consumption. In our retail market, everything you find in our display freezers will be sashimi grade and will come vacuum-sealed for best storage. We boast a selection of prawns, scallops, Pacific octopus, uni, ikura, shrimpmeat, crabmeat, whitefish, tuna, salmon, and smoked fish for sushi. You can also ask our retail staff for sushi fish from the fresh case and we can help direct you to our fish that came from frozen-at-sea and was cut that morning, making it a wonderful option for sushi as well.

Generally, freshwater fish are not consumed raw due to their high risk for parasites. At Finest at Sea, we catch local and ocean-run or saltwater fish, including salmon and albacore tuna, which are very popular for sushi. Tuna is highly regarded as a sushi fish due to its low risk for parasites and sweet, fatty flavour, and some larger species of tuna such as yellowfin tuna can actually be eaten raw without any freezing process required. We always keep our albacore tuna frozen for a pristine quality product and these portions and loins can be thawed in cold water for a workable product within an hour. If you enjoy the ‘toro’, the fatty belly cut from the tuna, be sure to ask our staff when purchasing and we can help select pieces with belly as opposed to the backstraps.

Our retail market has a lovely selection of sushi shelf items to complete your meal. Sushi rice, sashimi soy, Kewpie mayo, yuzu kosho, seaweed jam, inari, wasabi, ponzu, tataki dressing, sesame oil, house-made shichimi togarashi, mirin, chili oils, nori sheets, local kelp seasonings, artisan chopstick sets and top-of-the-line black garlic shoyu are just some ideas of how you can get creative with a local sushi night. When available, we offer a house tuna tataki and ebi (shrimp) sunomono salads with local kelp which make for perfect sides or snacks. Sashimi? Chirashi bowls? Spicy tuna roll? Your wildest sushi dreams can be made true at home with the help of the Finest ingredients. Ask us about sushi today!

And it doesn’t have to stop with sushi: any dish that requires high quality raw seafood products can be made with sashimi-grade fish. Try dressing our raw products with olive oil, flaky sea salt and citrus for a beautiful Italian seafood crudo, or try a refreshing Peruvian ceviche with a lime juice dressing, corn, onion and fresh vegetables.

The Story of This Can

The Albacore tuna in this can was caught within 200 miles of the pristine coast of Vancouver Island. It was caught by captain Mike on FV Malahat II, where is was immediately “frozen at sea” at -60c. Once the freezer was full the Malahat II came to shore. It docked in Victoria’s inner harbour where it was unloaded by our hard working local team. The fish was then transported a short distance up island to St Jean’s in Nanaimo BC. The staff at this locally owned cannery then lovingly hand packed that fish into this can using only salt (and sugar in smoked) as preservatives. The cans came back to us at Finest at Sea in Victoria BC where we sell them in our shop and distribute them to other mindful retailers.

The Finest Fish and Chips

Why Our Fish Is The “Finest”

All the fin fish we sell in our food truck is lovingly and skillfully caught by our own boats and fishers. It is “Frozen At Sea” which means within an hour of being caught the fish has been stunned, bled, headed, gutted, and frozen solid at -60c. Every day those fish are “refreshed” whole in circulating water, expertly filleted on-site, and portioned into generous 5 oz pieces.

 Our fryer oil is changed every day and our chips are hand-cut from BC Kennebec potatoes.

 From the ownership, to the fisherman, fish cutters, and cooks, we LOVE what we do. This care begets quality, and you can taste it in every bite.

Fresh is Not Always Best

At Finest at Sea (FAS) getting quality, sustainable seafood to the public is our top priority. The best way we can accomplish this is by flash freezing fish at sea. All our vessels are equipped with customized onboard freezing systems and freezers that keep the fish at minus 60 degrees Celsius. This allows our boats, like the Ocean Pearl, to be away from port, fishing Sablefish in the deep, cold waters off Haida Gwaii, for upwards of three months.

Immediately out of the ocean, the fish is stunned, bled, headed, gutted and laid on freezer pans specially designed freeze fish solid within an hour of being caught. This system, designed by FAS founder Bob Fraumeni, allows the quality of our fish to be perfectly preserved, and is now considered the gold standard within the industry. Fast freezing leads to smaller ice crystal formation, leaving the flesh of the fish undamaged. The frozen fish is then dipped in salt water to “glaze” it, before it is stored in the fish hold. This glaze prevents freezer burn from developing.

Each morning, before it is filleted for our cases, the Frozen at Sea fish we sell is “refreshed” whole in circulating water. This is the final step in our process, which allows our fish to taste as if it had been swimming in the ocean that morning.

Flash freezing at sea is a complex and costly operation, but the value it adds is evident immediately. When choosing fish, always keep in mind that “fresh” is not an indication of quality. Fresh simply means that it has never been frozen. Also remember that “previously frozen” and “Frozen at Sea” do not denote the same quality. Ask questions of your fish mongers so you always know what you are buying.