Trace the journey of halibut, from ocean to plate
This year, consumers will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase Ha’oom Wild Seafood’s Puu?i or halibut – available for the first time since inception of the business in 2012. As part of its commitment to excellence, Ha’oom Wild Seafood will also be implementing the ThisFish traceability program to tag all Ha’oom halibut destined for the marketplace.
Consumers will now have the opportunity to learn the origin of Ha’oom halibut and its’ journey from ocean to plate through the ThisFish website, using a unique and trackable identification number.
"Partnerships with First Nations are a great step to reconciliation. By following the Nuu-chah-nulth values of iisaak (respect) and hiish-uk-ish-tsawalk (everything is interconnected), Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations are able to utilize modern technology, while looking after future generations," expressed Ken Watts, NTC Vice-President.
“Having consumers be able to trace their halibut back to the T’aaq-wiihak fishery not only distinguishes Ha’oom seafood products as unique in the marketplace, but raises awareness of T’aaq-wiihak and the Nuu-chah-nulth fisheries rights case as a whole,” commented Alex Gagne, T’aaq-wiihak Fisheries Coordinator.
About Ha’oom Wild Seafood
Ha’oom is the T’aaq-wiihak Nations’ seafood brand. Generations of Nuu-chah-nulth fishers have lived, fished, and traded seafood from the cool and clean waters of BC’s Pacific Coast. Today our fishers are sharing their skills and bounty with a larger market through the T’aaq-wiihak fisheries. T’aaq-wiihak Ha’wiiḥ have given permission for all Ha’oom Wild Seafood products to be carefully harvested from their territories. For more information, visit www.haoom.ca.
About T’aaq-wiihak
Five Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations located on West coast Vancouver Island (Ahousaht, Ehattesaht, Hesquiaht, Mowachaht/Muchalaht, and Tla-o-qui-aht) have taken the federal government to court to prove their “aboriginal rights to fish for any species of fish within their Fishing Territories and to sell that fish, with the exception of geoduck” (DFO, 2016). Collectively the five plaintiff Nations took on the name of the “T’aaq-wiihak Nations,” which means fishing with permission of the Ha’wiih (hereditary leadership).
About ThisFish
Launched by Ecotrust Canada in 2010, ThisFish is a seafood traceability system that enables consumers to discover the story of their seafood by tracing its journey from the ocean to their plate using smartphones, tablets and computers. Consumers can discover who caught their seafood, when, where and how, and even send a message to their fish harvester. Seafood is identified with uniquely coded tags and labels that can be used to trace a product’s journey online at ThisFish.info. For more information, visit www.thisfish.info.
