Albacore Tuna from the Pacific Northwest (PNW)

The Albacore Tuna sold by Bear Claw Organics are all line caught off the coasts of SW Washington and NW Oregon. The tuna are hand filleted and hand packed.  They are different from any other canned tuna we have ever eaten. 

What makes them so special?

They come from the most sustainable Albacore fishery in the world.  It is so significant and sustainable that there are no fishing limits, either commercial or recreational, on the size and quantity of the catches.  It is deemed that healthy of a fishing ground.  It is certified sustainable by the Marine Sustainability Council.

Northeastern Pacific Albacore are unique.  They are younger and smaller (10-14 pounds on average).  They have had less exposure to heavy metals like mercury that their larger (and more southern) counterparts experience.  They have fewer heavy metals in their flesh.  They have a disproportionate amount of Omega 3s in them because they live in colder water than Albacore from other regions. 

Albacore fishing in this area is conducted by small boats, owned by small businesspeople, not Corporations.  The fish are landed within minutes of being caught.  They are packed on ice and immediately brought into port.  Commercial fishing boats in Asia and Mexico are massive by comparison.  Fish are caught on long lines that are not cleared more often than once every 24 hours.  Thus, Albacore caught off the PNW coast are fresher.

Our canning process is different.  All of our fish (regardless of the processor) are hand filleted and then hand packed in the cans.  No water or oil is added, just a bit of natural sea salt.  Any liquid in the can came directly from the fish.  This makes for a much healthier and tastier experience.  You will notice, when you open the can, that it is a whole steak of Albacore.  All of the cans are made from whole loins. 

Big commercial processors tend to cook the fish, debone it (we’ve already done that) and then can it and cook it again.  The first cooking eliminates much of the beneficial liquid from the fish (ours stays in the can) and the second time tends to turn the fish to mush…We only cook it once, in the can.

Eating fish high in Omega-3 is more beneficial than eating supplements with Omega-3.  The FDA reported that “Omega-3 supplements do not provide protein, vitamins, or minerals. Taking omega-3 supplements instead of eating fish means that you would be missing out on the high quality protein, minerals, and vitamins present in fish that are beneficial to overall health.”   The FDA also reported that albacore has lower mercury levels than other tuna products. FDA stated that it is safe for pregnant women to eat 6 ounces of albacore tuna per week.

PNW Albacore has up to 8 times the Omega 3s fatty acids compared to normal canned tuna. 

We believe that this is a canned tuna like no others available on the market today.