When you buy salmon from Slack Tide, you’re buying it from the guy who caught it. That’s me. No distributor, no warehouse, no mystery label. Here’s how buying fish direct from a fisherman works, and why I think it’s the best way to buy salmon in Bellingham.
What fisherman direct means
Most salmon changes hands a lot before it gets to your plate. A fisherman sells to a processor, the processor sells to a distributor, the distributor sells to a store, and somewhere along the way the fish might get frozen, thawed, repacked and shipped again. Every stop adds time and cost, and it gets harder to know where that fish actually came from.
Fisherman direct skips all that. I catch most of what we sell myself. When the fish are running, I also bring in a little from a few local fishermen I know and trust. Then it gets cleaned, filleted, vacuum sealed and frozen, and it goes from my freezer to yours.
Why traceable matters
Seafood fraud is real. Over the years, studies have caught farmed salmon being sold as wild and one kind of fish being passed off as another. Federal rules say stores have to label fish as wild or farmed and say where it came from, but a label only tells you so much.
When you buy from me, you can ask what kind of salmon it is, where it was caught and when. I’ll tell you, because I was there.
Keeping it local
Bellingham has been a fishing town for more than a hundred years. Back in the early 1900s, the Pacific American Fisheries cannery in Fairhaven was one of the biggest salmon canneries in the world, and Squalicum Harbor is still home to a working fishing fleet today.
Buying direct keeps more of what you pay with the people doing the work, right here in Whatcom County. That money goes to fuel, gear, boat repairs and the next trip out. It also keeps you connected to where your food comes from, which I think matters more than ever.
How it started for me
My dad and I sold straight to folks off the boat when we started Bink’s Seafood in 2023. People liked knowing who caught their fish, and I liked meeting the people who ate it. I haven’t found a better way to do it since.
How to buy from me
Text me at 360-927-1604 and I’ll tell you what’s in the freezer. Then set up a time to come by the shop at 4462 Rural Ave in north Bellingham. We’re open by appointment, because when the tide’s right, I’m on the water. If you want first dibs on fresh catches and specials, join the fresh fish list on our site.
Questions folks ask me
Is your salmon wild?
Yes. Every fish we sell is wild caught.
Where can I buy salmon direct from a fisherman in Bellingham?
Right here at our shop on Rural Ave. Text first and we’ll set up a time.
Do you sell wholesale?
Yes, to local markets and restaurants. Send a note through our contact page and I’ll get back to you.
Can I buy fresh, not frozen?
When the season’s open and the fish are coming in, sometimes. Get on the fresh fish list and you’ll hear about it first.
Austin