A history of growth and community involvement.
Back in 1974, Walcan Seafood was just a small seasonal bait herring producer, employing 16 people on Quadra Island. We didn’t know it then, but Quadra Island was the perfect spot for Walcan to thrive and grow, and become the business it is today. We went from selling to west coast sport and commercial fishermen to our bait herring brands, Tom Brown Sport Bait and Rhys Davis, becoming industry leaders. This changed our business dramatically—we were given the opportunity to expand, and we took it.
We’ve come a long way from that seasonal bait herring producer we started out as—Walcan has continually invested in and expanded our production and seafood offerings, and our acquisition of SeaChange has redefined our business once again. With our increased product offerings that include products that don’t need to be refrigerated, we’ve expanded our market to the tourist industry, giving people a unique way to bring a taste of Canada home with them.
With direct delivery available (Shop Now) we’re now able to serve the community better and offer locals and visitors premium, wild BC Seafood right to their door. Our Quadra Island location continues to efficiently process fishermen’s catches, resulting in a fresh, high-quality, West Coast product for our customers in Campbell River and around the world.
built on quality, sustainability, and herring
Early on, Walcan earned a reputation as a high-quality fresh and frozen salmon producer, and today, we’re one of the leading and most highly regarded producers of wild sockeye, chum, and pink salmon in British Columbia, with an international reputation.
Continued growth for us and for the community
In 1985, Walcan joint ventured one of the earliest salmon farms in British Columbia. Although our salmon farms were not a commercial success and were subsequently sold, we gained the knowledge and experience of how to properly harvest and process farmed salmon.
In 1993, we formed a new company in Hiroshima, Japan (Walcan Seafood Japan). Our presence in Japan provides Walcan with market intelligence and a direct relationship with our Japanese customers.
In 2001, we added Spot Prawns to our product offerings. With production innovations and strong customer relationships, we have become one of the leading exporters of BC Spot Prawns to the U.S. and Asian markets.