Organic Ocean Seafood

About Us

We are in­de­pen­dent West Coast fish­er­men who be­lieve a bal­ance must be main­tained be­tween our tra­di­tional way of life and the im­pact on the fish­eries. By adopt­ing ocean-friendly, sus­tain­able and re­spon­si­ble har­vest­ing prac­tices, we are pro­vid­ing the finest seafood to those who care about what they eat and who want to en­sure the long term health of the re­source for the ben­e­fit of fu­ture gen­er­a­tions.



While our fish and shell­fish are cov­eted by the lead­ing chefs who are de­ter­mined to make en­vi­ron­men­tally friendly seafood choices and se­lect sus­tain­able op­tions and the finest in­gre­di­ents for their menus, our seafood isn't for every­one. For those who don't value qual­ity, trace­abil­ity and the en­vi­ron­ment, there are alternatives.

The choice is yours.

Steve Johansen

Steve Johansen grew up in a fishing family on Hornby Island. Upon graduation from high school, he followed his father into the business and participated in the first fishery of the season to the last. As the seasons became compressed, Steve recognized that the future lay in focusing on the sustainable fisheries and realizing full value from the catch by marketing directly to the chefs. He was soon established as a trusted supplier and looked to for his expertise in seafood and seafood sustainability.

Dane Chauvel

With a $1,500 loan from his father, Dane Chauvel bought his first fishboat at age 17 and used his fishing income to fund an education that earned him degrees from the University of British Columbia and the University of Western Ontario. He then spent several years in the technology industry while maintaining an active interest in the family fishing business. In 2008, Dane decided to leave high tech and become a fulltime fisherman. His two boys, Peter and Paul, have spent every summer on the boat since they were in preschool and are now using their crew shares to support their university education.

Frank Keitsch

Frank Keitsch is a second generation fisherman, who started fishing with his father over 30 years ago. After spending his first summer holidays on his dad's boat, he knew that he had found his calling. He bought his first boat at the age of 19 and has been making his living at sea ever since. Frank has practiced sustainable fishing his entire career, so it was a natural fit when he joined the team at Organic Ocean. Top quality has always been Frank's main commitment while he's out fishing, and he is a firm believer that such products should be available to the chefs that share his passion.

Best Producer/Supplier

In recog­ni­tion of our ded­i­ca­tion to prod­uct knowl­edge, ser­vice pro­vi­sion and con­sis­tent sup­ply of the very best fish, the Chef's Table So­ci­ety of British Co­lum­bia named Or­ganic Ocean Pro­ducer/Sup­plier of the Year, a sig­nif­i­cant ac­co­lade given the re­gion's rep­u­ta­tion as a world class seafood cen­ter.

20th Annual Restaurant Awards Vancouver 20th Annual Restuarant Awards - Vancouver Magazine
When Steve Johansen created Organic Ocean 10 years ago with lifelong friend Dane Chauval, he began with an age-old idea: quality over quantity. From the start Organic Ocean, a small group of half a dozen independent fishermen, believed in sustainability and dealing directly with their customers.
Johansen, 41, delivers the product himself to the kitchens he supplies (which include C Restaurant, Blue Water Cafe, Raincity Grill, Fuel, Campagnolo, and Vij’s). If chefs have questions or concerns about where or how the product is harvested, he can answer directly: he caught it himself. “Historically, suppliers haven’t been able to answer those questions,” says Robert Clark of C Restaurant, but with Organic Ocean, “I know when, I know where, I know who.” Ditching the derby mentality, whereby fishermen grab as many fish as they can, Johansen and his crew take their time to preserve the quality and freshness of their product. “There’s a lot of pride put into it,” says Johansen, sitting on Fisherman’s Wharf, where his boat Organic Ocean #1 makes its home. “It’s very personal.”
Chauval, meanwhile, spent the past summer in Haida Gwaii with his wife and kids, fishing for salmon, lingcod, and halibut. “The fish up there are so beautiful,” says Johansen. “The whole area is pristine.” And through carefully managed, sustainable practices, the team at Organic Oceans intends to keep it that way.

*The Producer/Supplier of the Year award is voted on by The Chefs’ Table Society of British Columbia, a province-wide nonprofit collaboration of culinary professionals.