At The Pointe Restaurant, we are committed to providing our guests with a superlative dining experience with a menu showcasing the best of what the West Coast has to offer—and that all starts with using quality ingredients from local suppliers.

Purchasing our food from local harvesters and producers is important for so many reasons: it helps support local business, it ensures transparency in sustainable practices and it results in a better, fresher product. Another important benefit of this is the relationships we get to build with the people who know those products intimately.

For several years, we have worked with Ian Bryce of Natural Gift Seafoods, a family-run business operating in the North Pacific; he provides us with the premium-quality albacore tuna we offer our guests. Being on the West Coast, we are so lucky to have a natural abundance of seafood; however, we remain mindful that intensive large-scale fishing practices are depleting our fish stocks worldwide. And that’s why working with Ian is so important.

With a fishing range spanning from Haida G’waii to the offshore waters of California (depending on the time of season), Ian and his crew have a hands-on, conscientious approach to fishing. Their fishery fishes by jig—meaning little-to-no bycatch—which keeps it small and sustainable, and their responsible practices have earned them the title of “one of the greenest and cleanest” fisheries in the world. “We're proud that our tuna fishery has been a leader in the fishing industry's progress towards environmentally responsible fishing,” Ian says.

Natural Gift Seafoods is recognized by several environmental stewardship organizations, including Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, and is certified by B.C.’s Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The MSC is an international organization and their MSC certification program is seen as the gold standard for rewarding sustainable fishing practices. On top of that, Ian contributes a portion of his sales to the Nature Trust of B.C. These are values we can get behind!

Not only that, but Ian knows his stuff. His fish is caught at its seasonal prime and fast-frozen onboard the boat (the Nerka#1) to ensure it’s kept at its finest, freshest and most nutrient-rich until it’s ready to be served.

Buying local is simply our way of doing things at the Wickaninnish Inn, and we’re proud to have the fish Ian catches. “From our boat to your table” is their company tagline, and it really doesn’t get better than this.