The Women Behind Your Catch

In the spirit of this year’s International Women’s Day theme - Accelerate Action - we wanted to highlight the diversity of the incredible female fishers who provide Skipper Otto members with a bounty of wild-caught, sustainably harvested seafood. Celebrating women of all backgrounds and identities, we champion these fishers and their expertise today and every day.  

Melanie Cranmer

Melanie, a multi-generation c̓išaaʔatḥ (Tseshaht) First Nation fisher, fishes for sockeye salmon aboard her skiff in Alberni Inlet/Somass River. She learned to fish from her brothers, uncles, and cousins. Melanie has now taught her children and fishes alongside them and her twin sister. 

Pilar Martinelli

Pilar fishes for lingcod alongside her husband Bruce while also parenting their young son Rex aboard their boat, the aptly named Tantrum No.1. A longtime fisher with Skipper Otto, Pilar often shares blog posts about her escapades as fisher, wife, and mom at sea! You can read her most recent blog here! You'll also find Pilar's delicious lingcod in our fish pie recipe.

Melissa Collier

Melissa harvests pink & spiny swimming scallops alongside her husband Joel on their 42’ boat, Lisa Jess. With a background in biology, Melissa married into the industry and joined her 4th generation fisher-husband when he took over his parents' fishing operations in 2014. Often with their two young children onboard, and juggling fishing, shoreside operations, and policy advocacy, Melissa is the exemplary fisher-woman who does it all! Haven't tried her scallops? Explore our spicy scallop tagliatelle recipe or these pink and spiny scallops in coconut lemongrass broth!

Toan Thi La

Toan is a third-generation fisher whose passion for fishing started when she was a child. She learned to fish from her dad, who owned and operated many fishing boats in Vietnam. When she moved to Canada 30 years ago, she brought her knowledge to a brand new fishery as a sockeye salmon fisher and has never looked back. Her vessel is named after her youngest child, and although none of her children fish with her, she often has the help of her husband, Hong, on board as her crew. Give our fish pie recipe, featuring Toan's sockeye salmon, a try this season!

Bretton Hills

Bretton has been oyster farming for 5 years, having established her business on the Sunshine Coast in 2020. Unsatisfied sitting behind a desk doing food security consulting, she decided to leave Alberta and instead pursue an off-the-grid, food producer’s lifestyle on the wild West Coast. A powerful voice in advocating for greater food security and systems, Bretton believes that food producers should be able to have simple, dignified work that pays well and nourishes their community. We highly recommend trying this delicious spicy butter and herb baked oyster recipe using Bretton's oysters!

Natasha Marshall

Natasha is a multi-generation c̓išaaʔatḥ (Tseshaht) First Nation fisher who harvests sockeye and chinook salmon aboard her custom-built aluminum boat in Alberni Inlet/Somass River, along with her two daughters aged 21 and 10. She is a Tseshaht First Nation Councillor holding the Economic Development and Energy Plan portfolios, completed her Executive MBA in SFU’s Indigenous Business Leadership program, and is now the Business Manager at the Indigenomics Institute. Natasha loves to defy stereotypes – she’s equally comfortable in a fish-scale covered rain jacket on her boat or in a power suit in the board room!

Amy Bespflug

Amy met her now-husband Joe, an avid fisher, in the mid-90s while he was taking a hiatus from fishing, and they were both studying in Art School in Victoria, BC. Soon after, she convinced him to get back on the water, and they’ve been fishing for spot prawns and various other species together ever since. Now, often alongside their two teenage children. 

Melanie Budd

Melanie is a second-generation fisher whose passion for fishing started while helping her dad as a deckhand when she was young. Today, alongside her husband and third-generation fisher, Todd, Melanie catches pink salmon for Skipper Otto members. You’ll also often catch their teenage son, Chase, and their teenage nephew, Elijah, joining for summer trips as deckhands, passing on the family tradition to another generation.

Kelper Romero

In acknowledging all women from varying backgrounds and identities, we highlight Romero, a multi-generation harvester and trans fisher who hand-harvests nutrient-rich kelp in the Coastal waters of Haida Gwaii. An avid forager of wild foods since childhood, his approach to kelp harvesting is well-researched and thoughtful, collecting less than 10% of kelp beds to leave a healthy and sustainable marine canopy. His spectacular products include wild Kombu, Wakame, Dulse, and Giant Kelp. 

Skipper Otto is a woman-led organization dedicated to building a more just and diverse alternative to the conventional industrial seafood system. To find out more about our mission and membership, click here!