(Photo courtesy of Shaun Strobel. Oliver Strobel on the Eldorado boat) My oldest son, Oliver, has been going out fishing with his dad, Shaun, and his grandpa, Otto, since he was 5 years old. It seems like just a couple of years ago that little boy was begging to go out fishing for the first … 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

Guess what? This old salmon gillnetter, Eldorado, is back in the family! Why so excited, you might ask? I mean, let’s be clear: to say she’s rustic is an understatement. She’s definitely no pleasure boat. There are a couple of bunks, a sink, a little fridge and a stove. If you want to shower, you’ll … Continued

If you’ve followed us for a while, you may remember three years ago when I won the Forum’s Pitch for the Purse – a prestigious national business pitch competition. This week, the gala finale resumes in person and I am thrilled to return to the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver ballroom to watch this year’s finalists. This … Continued

The Fight For Stricter Seafood Labelling Laws As you may already know, Skipper Otto Community Supported Fishery is part of a group of seafood industry stakeholders and grocery chains calling for greater transparency in labelling seafood sold in Canada.  The group delivered a letter to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as part of their recent … Continued

We’re thrilled to celebrate a wonderful victory today: the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has just announced that prawn harvesters will be allowed to continue to tub and freeze their catch at sea for the foreseeable future. As you know (or, if you don’t, check out our blog from December!), nearly one year ago the Department … Continued