Q: How long has Raincoast Trading been around?

A: Raincoast Trading was founded in Delta, British Columbia, Canada in 1978. Family owned and operated, Raincoast Trading has had continued success in this changing environment and competitive marketplace by remaining true to our principles while employing state of the art, selective harvest methods. This ongoing commitment ultimately guarantees a superior product and quality, healthy fish stocks for continued future success.


Q: Where are your fish caught?

A: Our Sockeye and Pink salmon are caught in the Pacific Northwest region, an area located on the western coastlines of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. We catch our fish in their ocean habitat where their oil content is greatest. This high oil content enhances the flavour and nutritional content of the fish.

Our Albacore Tuna is caught in the Pacific Northwest Region where the tuna is young and the flesh has its highest oil content which gives the meat more flavour and better nutritional value, as well as the lowest mercury levels of any fish. This is very different then many our competitors' tuna products, which are caught in the South Pacific region where the fish are larger and older with lower oil content.


Q: What harvesting methods are used to catch your seafood?

A: Raincoast Trading employs the most ecologically responsible methods available to harvest our seafood. Our harvesting methods are both discretionary and sustainable. Embracing selective harvest techniques, all salmon bearing the Raincoast Trading name are caught in portable fish traps, enabling us to conduct a thorough, species-specific harvest, in which we return all non - targeted species to their environment unharmed.

We target superior quality Albacore Tuna only, and use a specialized "hook and line" technique rather than the traditional, non - discretionary, dolphin-harming netting practices used by most companies. We then flash freeze the fish at sea allowing us to reduce the number of times necessary to cook the fish for processing. This method facilitates the preservation of the fish's nutritional oils and natural flavour.


Q: What kind of packaging do you use?

A: Raincoast Trading embraces the environmental sustainable concept of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Refuse".

Our products are all attractively, yet responsibly packaged. Our cans are fully recyclable, and we print our labels on recyclable paper using soy based inks devoid of plastic and high gloss finishes.


Q: What ingredients are added to your products during the processing procedure?

A: Raincoast Trading has chosen to deliver the consumer the most natural seafood product possible. Therefore, rather than add processed salts during packaging, sea salt is used to enhance the flavour of our salt added varieties. Sea salt is an all natural ingredient with 50+ trace minerals required by the body for good health. We also provide consumers with no salt versions of our Sockeye and Pink canned salmon.

Unlike many competitors' products, our seafood is harvested carefully so it retains all of its own oils and juices. This means that no water or oils are necessary, allowing us to deliver to the consumer a superior quality product bursting with natural flavour and nutrition.


Q: What is the taste difference between farmed and wild salmon?

A: Many chefs, food critics, and fisherman have judged the taste and texture of the wild salmon to be far superior to farmed varieties. Many complain that farmed salmon is tasteless and mushy. There has also been some reservation regarding the safety of the colourant used in the food of farmed salmons. Without this colourant the flesh of farmed salmon is an unappetizing grey.


Q: Doesn't the use of farming salmon help to conserve threatened or endangered wild salmon stocks?

A: Rather than conserve their numbers, increasing amounts of fish farms are beginning to threaten the livelihood of the natural wild stocks. Farmed salmon pose a threat to wild stocks by passing parasites and diseases through netcages and contaminating wild fish stock. They also escape their nets and disrupt the spawning rituals of wild salmon species. Feed not eaten is left to sit on the ocean floor and rot, further polluting our oceans.


Q: How does Raincoast make sure that the salmon caught are not farm escapees?

A: Farmed salmon raised in the Pacific are Atlantic salmon. This species has a significantly different appearance. Our fishermen recognize this difference and because of our species specific targeting practice these fish are not kept.


Q: What are Omega 3 fatty acids and why are they so beneficial?

A: Omega 3 fats are found in the oil that occurs naturally in fish. Research has shown that these fats help to control heart disease, maintain healthy brain functions, and fight breast cancer.

The omega 3 in fish, known as Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been studied in relation to behavioural disorders. Inadequate consumption of foods rich in omega-3’s can lead to deficiencies in these fats which in turn increase the risks of cardiovascular disease, depression, behavioural and emotional disorders.

Q: Why is Sockeye salmon more expensive than Pink Salmon?

A: Pink salmon is available in generous quantities, whereas the Sockeye salmon is available on a much lesser scale. Furthermore, the Pink salmon's flesh is found to be light in color and very delicately flavored. The Sockeye's flesh is known for its deep red color and its increased oil content which unlike other species whose flesh is less than 10% oil; the Sockeye typically has levels exceeding 15 %, which enhances its overall flavour and nutrition.

Q: What makes Albacore tuna higher priced than other tuna?

A: Albacore tuna is known for its exceptional taste and quality. The Albacore tuna is superior in quality, which makes this fish value higher than any other tuna species. Although there are many types of "light meat" tuna available, the Albacore is the only tuna that can be labeled as the “white meat" tuna.


Q: Do you test mercury levels in your tuna?

A: Yes, we do administer mercury level tests to all of our tuna to ensure our customer's health and safety.


Q: Do Raincoast cans contain Bisphenol A (BPA)?

A: No our cans, lids and liners are free of Bisphenol A (BPA)


Q: What are the glass like crystals sometimes present in canned salmon?

A: Certain naturally occurring elements in fish may develop into hard crystals during the canning process. It is especially common in tinned salmon. These crystals resemble glass fragments and are called struvite. They are harmless if swallowed and are broken down by stomach acids. These crystals have been identified as magnesium ammonium phosphate, which is a naturally occurring mineral

While struvite crystals bear a resemblance to particles of broken glass, they are shaped differently. Struvite is no harder than regular table salt and can be easily scratched and crushed to a powder with a fingernail. Struvite crystals will dissolve if placed in vinegar and gently heated…glass will not.


Q: What is the PCB levels your canned salmon?

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Wild Pacific Salmon are far below the regulatory safety limit established by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and are considered to be trace levels only. This is due to the short life cycle of salmon (2-4 years), which is insufficient to bio-accumulate these substances, and the fact that wild salmon spend the majority of their lives in the open mid-Pacific Ocean, far from potential coastal pollution. Just as we test our Albacore Tuna for mercury, we also test our canned Salmon for PCB’s every 2-3 canning runs.