True Fin (Gulf of Maine Sashimi)

Ocean-to-plate top-quality fish

$150,000| Multiple Awards

Jen Levin, President & CEO

 

90%
The amount of seafood we consume in the US that’s imported.

20-400%
Premium paid to fishermen over traditional market prices for higher quality fish.

Although Maine has long been known for clean ocean water and hard-working fishermen, increased competition from imported seafood combined with declining prices for the fish they land, has created a tenuous situation for Maine’s fishing fleet. Jen Levin and her team have set out to create a market for the highest quality, sustainably harvested fish from the Gulf of Maine.

True Fin, formerly Gulf of Maine Sashimi, is now providing fully traceable seafood to restaurants and home chefs. Their ocean-to-plate business has stitched together the traditional fragmented seafood supply chain and the result is good for customers, the ocean, and coastal communities.

They start at sea, buying directly from local fishermen and teaching safe handling practices that preserve the integrity and quality of the catch. A portion of the catch is sold super fresh to buyers across the country, and some is perfectly preserved at -60C in a super freezing machine—funded in part by MTI. Finally, they send whole fish, filets, and parts to chefs and distributors. The challenges of COVID have proven their resiliency and ability to pivot by starting a direct-to-consumer business that has increased demand for their product.

True Fin exemplifies the statewide effort to invest and improve the fisheries in Maine. Founder, Jen Levin was initially connected to MTI when she was hired to start the Sustainable Seafood program at Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). True Fin shares MTI’s goal of making the region’s seafood industry more economically viable, and keeping fishermen fishing, while also ensuring a high-quality source of domestic seafood.