We are proud to serve only sustainable west coast seafood at RauDZ.  We are extremely fortunate to work with our fish mongers Jon & Ann Marie Crofts of Codfathers Seafood who are passionate about fish and ensuring that we in the Okanagan have the very best and freshest available. 

A few short weeks ago, Jon was excited to announce that it was halibut season!  In fact, the very first halibut that RauDZ received for the season was actually remarkably fresh because of the relationship Jon has fostered with a number of fisherman.  They’ve come to understand Jon’s passion for fresh, getting the very best for his customers and his competitive nature to get the fish into the restaurants in the Okanagan before Vancouver or Victoria. 

When boats go out to fish for halibut they normally go out on a four day trip, so the freshest fish you get is approximately 5 days old before it gets back to port and into the restaurants or shops.  Because Jon had fostered this relationship with the crew of the FV Nordic Spirit, this boat went out for 1 day only, caught an extremely limited amount, came back into Victoria to Jon, who then loaded it up into the car, down the Coquihalla and into the restaurant within 24 hours!  Now that’s fresh!   In fact, Jon boasts he ‘selected fish from the top of the hold so the fish had been out of the water less than 24 hours before serving!”

Halibut is a very sustainable fish for a number of reasons.  Firstly the catch limits are strictly controlled by the International Pacific Halibut Commission, so that the stocks are allowed to remain stable in all areas and even grow.  Halibut is also caught using the ‘longline’ catch method which is very selective and doesn’t result in bycatch of rarer species nor does not have the impact on the sea bed like bottom trawling or dedging which damages the valuable marine environment.  Halibut boats are even equipped with cameras to monitor and ensure the bycatch is released properly. 

Jon tells us that the halibut this year will primarily come from Haida Gwaii with the fish landed in Rupert.  Jon is so familiar with his fish and the fisherman, he can even tell us that the main vessel for the halibut for RauDZ is the FV Hanna Lio. 

Just as we’ve built a relationship with our farmers for the produce, Jon has a similar relationship with his suppliers always ensuring we get the best for our guests.

Besides being a great friend and valuable supplier to RauDZ, Jon has now added ‘blogger’ to his resume.  You can keep up with Jon and his ‘fish stories’ on his website.