CleanFish is Swimming with the Fishes

CleanFish is taking a new business approach to addressing the seafood industry and need for sustainable and healthy seafood supply. CleanFish plans to launch a brand to embody the highest ethical values and principals involved in fisheries in farming and capturing in the wild. The company plans to be selectively sourcing and promoting artisan fisheries, both cultivated and wild. CleanFish is building a brand in the sustainable seafood movement from within the marketplace. CleanFish plans to build an alliance of producers to provide distinctively better offering in quality and serve an important role in environmental leadership.

The importances of clean and environmental friendly practices are becoming increasingly important due to the number of problems facing the industry. The Salmon industry is an example of a number of issues facing the species in over fishing, disease, pollution, and diversion of natural environmental habitat. Recently, the fisheries experts have reported in California of big decrease in population without any reliable explanation. In Chile reports of viral disease from close, over stressed conditions in farming of Salmon and excessive use of antibiotics are concerns in the industry. The declining Black Sea bass population is another example of overfishing and need for better practices to properly harvest and sustains populations. The very large Tuna industry is going to be larger concerns in the future with rising global demand and extremely effective techniques in capturing the prized catch. Also, the netting techniques involved in open fishing maybe have negative impacts on the environment as bottom trawlers and fatal capture of unintended species. Clearly there need to be a larger effort towards proper management of sustainable and environmentally friendly practices to ensure proper cultivation and enjoyment of a valuable and precious commodity.

CleanFish plans to change this as a leading purveyor of fresh and frozen seafood sourced from a wide range of artisan fisherman that hold to strict stewardship principles. The company is advancing its mission of moving the U.S. market toward sustainable seafood by connecting customers with CleanFish artisan fisheries, rewarding fishery partners with a market premium for their artisan products, and building a brand that is trusted by customers for taste, safety and sustainability. The CleanFish brand will be a powerful tool and platform for distribution for alliance of fishers to promote good environmentally clean and sustainable practices.

CleanFish recently announced in press release 4.2 M Series A funding from TBL with other previous investors Mindful Capital and individual investors.

“CleanFish is quickly becoming the leading platform brand in the sustainable seafood category”, said Mark Finser, General Partner of TBL Capital. “Their products demonstrate extraordinary environmental stewardship that translates into a superior quality fish, a healthier planet and a healthier consumer.” The seafood industry in the United States is over $65 billion, 69% of which is consumed at restaurants and other foodservice establishments, 22% purchased fresh at retail stores and 9% bought pre-packaged.

“CleanFish is completely delighted to have the values and resources of TBL join with us in partnership” added Tim O’Shea, Co-Founder and CEO of CleanFish, “just this past month (February, 2008) at the Boston Seafood Show, CleanFish was featured as one of the top ten companies to watch in the seafood industry.”