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.