(Photo credit: Sonia Strobel, Fishing boat Eldorado) I always find the change of seasons to be a powerful time for reflection. This year’s final day of summer and first day of autumn were particularly filled with nostalgia and reflection for me as we headed out on a boat repositioning trip. Boat repositioning trips are a … Continued

(Photo credit: Justin Milton, a young Inuit man from Pond Inlet, explains what fish mean to Inuit) All this week, I am honoured to be a guest at a North-South knowledge sharing circle with Inuit youth convened by our friends at two great non-profit organizations: Ikaarvik and Ocean Wise. Ikaarvik is the Inuktitut word for … Continued

Back in early June, we shared a story about our halibut fisher, Doug Kostering and DFO’s seizure of his catch. It’s been a long bumpy road this summer with an unsatisfying conclusion so we feel it is the right time for an update.  As a recap, our longtime halibut fisher, Doug Kostering, was accused by … Continued

(Photo courtesy of Shaun Strobel. Shaun and Lyndon Strobel on the Eldorado boat) This summer marked a big moment in the Strobel family — both our sons, Oliver and Lyndon, now have their faces on the salmon labels of fish they caught while fishing with their dad, Shaun! The idea for Skipper Otto was born … Continued

The reason I co-founded Skipper Otto with my husband Shaun, was to stand up for and support independent fishing families, and this mission has never been more important. On Friday June 2nd, armed DFO officers visited both our Fisherman’s Wharf location in False Creek, Vancouver, as well as our cold storage facility in Surrey, BC, … Continued

I’m bursting with hope and optimism following the Fisheries for Communities Gathering this past month in Victoria, and I couldn’t resist sharing my excitement with all of you (the Skipper Otto community). When Canadian politicians come together with thoughtful, cross-party support for a grassroots issue that helps independent fishing families – it should be celebrated! … Continued

I truly believe that when you create space for a diversity of voices to be heard, that’s when really beautiful collaboration and co-creation happen. This is our theory of change in action: it is through active listening and creating opportunities for voices to be heard that, together,  we build a just and equitable seafood system. The … Continued

A while ago, I shared with you some of my reflections after a month of active listening on the topic of Indigenous/ non-Indigenous fishing relations. Little did I know, that work would shape the year ahead in profound ways, helping us articulate the purpose and vision of Skipper Otto, and guiding our everyday decision-making. And … Continued