How vertically integrated U.S. fisheries benefit seafood buyers
Most U.S. seafood buyers know the feeling of a last-minute scramble. A container stalls, a spec slips, a supplier suddenly cannot provide basic paperwork… The longer and more fragmented the supply chain, the more chances there are for something to go wrong. Every handoff between vessel, processor, exporter, distributor, and broker creates another point where quality, timing, or documentation can break down. Vertically integrated U.S. fisheries offer a different model. When one operator controls the catch, handling, packing, and logistics, buyers get clearer accountability, faster answers, and a steadier flow of product. Why vertically integrated U.S. fisheries benefit wholesale buyers “When we control the boats and the process, we can stand behind every lot we ship,” says Cassie Canastra Larsen, CEO of Canastra Fishing Co. “That control protects specs, schedules, and buyer reputations.” NOAA says the U.S. imported 6.3 billion pounds of edible seafood in 2023, and that about 80% of the seafood Americans eat comes from foreign imports. That scale creates opportunity, but it also creates exposure. Many imported products move through multiple independent companies before they ever reach an American buyer. Vertical integration strips out much of that complexity. When one supplier controls more of the chain, responsibility stays clear and problems can be resolved faster. Canastra Fishing Co.’s Chief Operating Officer, Ben McKinney, explains that vertical integration directly addresses the most common concern among seafood buyers. “Every buyer I talk to wants the same thing: consistency,” says Ben. “Working with vertically integrated fisheries is the only realistic way to deliver the level of reliability our clients expect.” RELATED: Why domestic seafood creates a more reliable supply chain The tangible costs of the ‘handoff tax’ When seafood moves between different companies and facilities, the risk multiplies. Buyers end up paying what feels like a “handoff tax.” They spend more time chasing updates, solving paperwork issues, and managing substitutions. And the cost is not only administrative. Long, complex supply chains can also affect the product itself. More transfers can mean more handling, more temperature variation, more repacking, and more chances for shelf life to shorten before the fish ever reaches the end customer. Any one of those issues might be manageable on its own. Stack several together, and it becomes much harder to deliver consistent quality week after week. RELATED: Whitefish wholesale: Domestic vs imported no longer tells the full story Better sourcing shouldn’t come from cutting corners Vertical integration can reduce costs and save stress for buyers, but the way a company creates those savings matters. Some seafood businesses try to gain control by squeezing labor, lowering standards, or putting pressure on the people doing the work. That may reduce a price on paper, but it creates risk elsewhere in the chain. For Canastra Fishing Co., the goal is different. The company wants to remove unnecessary handoffs, improve communication, and create a more direct route from boat to buyer without weakening the people behind the product. “We need to be vertically integrated to provide a better price for buyers, but we won’t do that at the cost of our team,” says Cassie. A supplier that protects its crews, dock workers, office team, and local partners can build a more stable operation over time. Lower prices mean little if they come from poor retention, rushed handling, or a culture that burns people out. Responsible vertical integration should make the supply chain stronger, not just cheaper. Reliable traceability when auditors call The global seafood trade keeps growing. FAO says fisheries and aquaculture production reached 223.2 million tonnes in 2022. Growth at that scale brings more opportunity, but it also raises the stakes for traceability. Buyers need accurate records, clean chain-of-custody documentation, and fast answers when auditors or procurement teams start asking questions. That’s where vertically integrated U.S. fisheries have a real edge. Fewer handoffs usually mean fewer documentation gaps and a faster path back to the source. “For U.S. buyers sourcing seafood directly from the trusted docks of New Bedford, you have a direct line to the crew that caught it,” Ben says. “That’s a level of transparency you simply won’t find with a shipping container arriving from the other side of the world.” New regulations reshaping seafood supply chains Beyond the day-to-day risk of delays and spec issues, tighter rules are making fragmented import chains harder to manage. For some imports, that now means a higher risk of delays or extra paperwork. Importers also face the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, which requires traceability data showing where certain seafood was caught and how it moved into U.S. commerce. NOAA says this applies to more than 1,100 species across 13 groups and covers about half of U.S. seafood imports. That gives vertically integrated fisheries—particularly domestic fisheries—an advantage. Fewer handoffs often mean fewer paperwork gaps, fewer disconnected systems, and a clearer chain of custody from boat to buyer. How to evaluate a vertically integrated seafood supplier Not every domestic seafood supplier that claims to be “vertically integrated” actually operates with the level of control buyers expect. Savvy buyers need to look past the label and ask practical questions. Checklist for buyers to use in seafood supplier calls Vessel ownership and control Processing ownership and location Documentation and traceability Grading and specification consistency Workforce and community standards Handling deviations End-to-end accountability Suppliers who answer those questions clearly have real control. Suppliers who can’t often rely on a looser network than buyers expect. A clearer chain of custody from boat to buyer For seafood buyers who value consistency and hate surprises, sourcing from a vertically integrated supplier is a simpler path. Canastra Fishing Co. became a fully vertically integrated supplier with the 2023 acquisition of vessels and permits from a local fishery. By bringing fishing, auction, and distribution closer together, the company has built a more controlled supply chain for wholesale buyers. That control also creates a responsibility to do things the right way. Canastra Fishing Co.’s vertical integration model depends on the same people who have always powered the New Bedford waterfront:
The value of an experienced fishing crew for seafood buyers
Savvy seafood buyers can spot a poorly handled fish from a mile away. They see it in the texture, in the scuffed skin, in the uneven color… And according to seasoned fishing captain Henrique Franco, those problems can emerge well before they arrive at the dock. The Portuguese native—who has spent decades fishing the North Atlantic Ocean—firmly believes that quality seafood starts and ends with the crew handling it. When all is said and done, Henrique builds his crews and processes around one priority above all: “You’ve got to take care of your fish.” What experience looks like on deck Seasoned deckhands protect texture and appearance through simple habits that inexperienced crews often treat as nice-to-haves. They keep the pace steady during the haul, protect the fish from bruising, and keep the hold organized lot by lot. “When we do the hauling back, that’s the most dangerous moment,” says Henrique. “If you don’t communicate, somebody’s going to get hurt.” The 53-year-old captain watches how people work together when the pace rises. He wants crew members who look out for each other and keep the workflow clean. Experienced crews treat the haul like a drill they’ve run a thousand times. They read the deck the way a driver reads traffic, because bodies, gear, and fish all move at once. They keep space around tensioned lines, watch for swing, and call out problems before they stack up. That teamwork shows up in the fish and turns a trip into seafood that buyers can plan around—and it all starts with the people who know the work. MORE: Why fair commercial fishing wages matter for U.S. seafood supply The quality chain from deck to hold Once the fish hits the deck, it’s clear to Henrique whether or not a crew member understands the value of proper handling. “Sometimes they don’t clean. They don’t wash the fish really well,” Henrique says. “Sometimes too much ice, sometimes not much ice at all. “I’m very strict about that with my crew. We’ve got to take care of the fish, wash it well, and ice it right.” Ice protects appearance and moisture during long hours at sea. If this crucial step is missed, the fish arrives looking tired, and buyers read it immediately. “With blackbacks [winter flounder], for example, you’ve got to ice them belly up. If you put them the wrong way, they turn red and buyers don’t pay as much. “If you don’t take care of the fish, you go to the dock and instead of a dollar fifty, you get eighty cents.” Crew members who chase speed and forget consistency reveal their inexperience. Henrique puts it plainly: a crew can work hard and still lose value if they mishandle the fish. Handling mistakes might not seem dramatic on deck, but captains and companies pay for them at the dock and on the processing floor. “You can lose a whole trip like that,” Henrique says. A strict approach to handling doesn’t just matter to captains, it matters to buyers too. A stable crew produces a stable process, and a stable process produces predictable lots. RELATED: Why domestic seafood creates a more reliable supply chain Where quality starts to break down Convinced by his years sharing boats with crews that can make or break a trip, Henrique manages the risk before the boat even leaves the pier. “I have to know the person. It’s hard to give a job to someone I don’t know,” he says. Henrique uses the waterfront the way other industries might use references. “I ask other captains about him. ‘Is he a good guy?’ I need information.” In fact, the risk-averse captain would take a harder trip over a hire he’s not 100% sure of. “Sometimes I’d rather go one hand short until I know I’ve got a good guy,” he says. Henrique makes that call for safety, but he also makes it for quality. “I do everything I can to avoid problems with the boat, with my crew, or with me,” he says. But that doesn’t mean the next generation doesn’t get an opportunity on Henrique’s boat. It just means experience needs to be passed down into the right hands. RELATED: The Canastra Story: A family name that carries new meaning Fishing crews that last Experience doesn’t stay private on a good boat. It moves down the line through correction, repetition and clear expectations. “I always have the experienced guys teach the new guys the right way,” Henrique says. That transfer of knowledge matters in the commercial fishing industry. A crew learns fastest when a seasoned hand fixes a mistake in real time. But for those lessons to stick, Henrique says a new fisherman has to have a passion for the trade. “To be a fisherman, you’ve got to love it. If you do this just for the money, your life will be miserable.” The crews that last build habits that long-term buyers can trust. They protect each other, protect the gear and protect the fish, because they know the cost when they don’t. The buyer sees the crew in the product The best crews consistently land fish that looks right, holds up well and arrives with fewer surprises. And that is largely determined by the experience on the boat. Buyers doing their due diligence to secure a reliable seafood supply would do well to look past the label and start asking who worked the deck. Henrique adds, “If your guys don’t have experience, your fish won’t be good quality.” Ready to work with a fishing company that knows its boats and their crews like family? Drop us a line to talk through Canastra Fishing Company’s handling standards and what real consistency looks like from boat to dock.