Regenerative Capital

Rockfish And Black Cod Inventory Purchasing

by Tre-Fin Day Boat Seafood

Tre-Fin has been awarded a USDA Value-Added Producer grant to increase the harvest and purchasing of local fish from other sustainable fishermen.

Project Summary

Location: Ilwaco, WA
Products: Fishery
Loan Amount: $26,000
Loan Term: 6 months
Interest Rate: 8.00% APR
Repayments Begin: 1 month after disbursement

Overview

Tre-Fin Day Boat Seafood, based in Ilwaco, WA, brings the holistic approach of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to the sustainable seafood industry, operating as a Community Supported Fishery (CSF). Day boat seafood means fish are individually caught and returned to dock within 24 hours, eliminating the wasteful and destructive approaches of industrial-scale fisheries. Upon return to the dock, each fish is hand-cut and flash-frozen to maximize quality, nutrition, and flavor before being delivered directly to restaurants and consumers’ doors.

Use of Funds

Tre-Fin has obtained a Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) to purchase Black Cod and Rockfish from local fishermen. All funds from this grant are expected to be reimbursed by the USDA within one month of submitting invoices. This six month bridge loan will allow Tre-Fin to use the money for inventory purchasing multiple times over the course of several months, increasing Tre-Fin’s ability to meet their growing demand from local restaurants and customers.

Regenerative & Sustainable Practices

Tre Fin is committed to transparency and truly sustainable seafood sourcing. They embrace this core mission through the following practices:

Hook-and-line Harvesting—Reeling in fish on a traditional rod and line minimizes the amount of by-catch that occurs, which is a major ethical and sustainability issue of industrial “catch-all” methods.
Circle Hooks—Circle hooks catch on or near the mouth of the fish (rather than the gullet), which minimizes damage, increasing the survivability of released fish.
The 24-Hour Rule—This self-imposed limit not only ensures freshness and quality, it also means Tre-Fin won’t simply travel further and further as local fisheries are exhausted. It’s an unprecedented commitment to place in an industry desperately lacking true stewards.
Fair Wages for Fishermen—Seafood is still a people business, and the burnout, financial insecurity, and inconsistent wages common on the Ilwaco docks are unacceptable by Tre-Fin standards. Tre-Fin’s CSF provides year-round economic opportunity for fishermen who receive premium prices and fair wages through the Tre-Fin Co-Op.
Rated by Monterey Aquarium’s Seafood Watch as “Best Choice” for methods that allow stock to replenish at a sustainable rate.

Join the Steward Newsletter

Get project announcements, farmer introductions, company updates, and more by subscribing to the Steward newsletter. Join our growing community of people who are making regenerative agriculture the foundation of our future.

Meet the Farmers

Join a growing community of sustainably-minded lenders reaping the rewards from responsible farming

Learn More About Tre-Fin Day Boat Seafood