Would you believe it all started in 2018 when logistics professionals who as fate would have it were also avid fishermen, fell in love with the people of American Samoa? Well, it’s true. While traversing the Pacific serving their logistics customers, the founders listened to their friends and village elders and experienced firsthand that local indigenous fishing methods were not yielding the same harvests and bounties as before.
Hardened from their experience in building the largest and most reliable logistics company serving the island nations of the Pacific, they began to realize that the problem was much larger and more serious. People needed to eat. People needed jobs. Fish needed a healthy ecosystem. Something had to change and Island Fisheries was born.
With sustainability and education in mind, Island Fisheries involves action at every level to teach and demonstrate that sustainable fishing practices, village food security, and commercial profitability were not mutually exclusive. The founders’ core objectives were not solely profitability – but to make it possible for the people of American Samoa to protect their waters, eat more fish, support their families with traditional fishing practices – and demonstrate to the world that non-destructive fishing methods could be a profitable enterprise.
The respect we give to our oceans, our fisherman, and our fish allows Island Fisheries to meet the quality demands of Sashimi buyers of the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan, as well as the finest restaurants in America that demand both the highest quality and highest level of ecological responsibility.
We are proud of what we do – from helping protect fish stocks, to sustaining local traditions, and facilitating trade and development in the emerging economies of Oceania. It feels good to do the right thing, and we are grateful for the support from the people and Government of American Samoa.