How to Join Ocean Wise

Interested in providing the freshest, highest quality, sustainable seafood to your patrons, but not sure where to start? Join the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program! 

Participation is open to any Canadian restaurant or food services business that regularly serves seafood dishes.

Joining Process:

Congratulations, by taking the time to find out about us, you have taken the first step to becoming an Ocean Wise participating member! Because we do not solicit businesses, finding out about us and getting in touch with us is often the most difficult step.

For more general information about the Ocean Wise program please read our About Us page. To learn about ocean-friendly seafood refer to our Sustainable Seafood page.

Please send us a request for information to join. Ocean Wise will e-mail you the required steps to become Ocean Wise and an enquiry form.

Frequently Asked Questions about Joining Ocean Wise

Is there a fee to join the Ocean Wise program?

No. Participation is voluntary. However, potential partners must be committed to serving and promoting sustainable seafood and we do encourage participation in Ocean Wise sanctioned events.

Does my restaurant (or other business) have to go completely sustainable and have a 100% ‘clean’ menu?

No. In order to join the Ocean Wise program, partners are required to remove or replace one unsustainable item on their menu and to highlight the sustainable options with the Ocean Wise logo. We ask partners to commit to the removal or replacement of unsustainable items at a suggested rate of 1 item every 6 months until such time as a completely ‘clean’ menu has been reached or until it is not feasible to go any further. Some options are difficult, and do not have sustainable alternatives at the moment (although we are continually sourcing new, sustainable options, and as the demand grows, more options are presenting themselves). The objective is to have sustainable, ocean-friendly options clearly identifiable for consumers so that they can make that choice.

How are the Ocean Wise logos to be placed on the restaurant’s menu?

The Ocean Wise symbol placement on menus is important to allow patrons to easily identify ocean-friendly choices. The Ocean Wise symbol is placed beside only those menu options that meet the requirements of the Ocean Wise program. A text treatment is placed at the bottom of the menu to explain what the symbols mean. 

BC HALIBUT MARINATED IN GINGER & MISO Fresh grilled BC halibut marinated in a ginger, miso & white wine reduction; wild rice pilaf & Chinese broccoli

$21.50

What does the Aquarium provide to restaurants?

• Promotion of Ocean Wise and participating businesses throughout Canada and further a field
• Distribution of the  ‘Ocean Wise Restaurant Directory’ listing all restaurants involved in the Ocean Wise program
• Training sessions for front line and kitchen staff so that they may feel comfortable and confident answering patrons questions about sustainable seafood and Ocean Wise.
• Once a partner, assistance in the organization of media events, festivals, cook offs, television spots, etc
• An invitation to participate in joint media events promoting the program and its partners
• Use of the Ocean Wise brand
• The most up-to-date scientific information regarding fisheries and sustainable seafood options with regular updates as new options are sourced or information changes.
• A network of chefs committed to serving sustainable seafood

What are restaurants commitments when they become involved with Ocean Wise?

• Completing a full assessment for all seafood on your menu
• Immediately removing at least one ‘unsustainable’ species from your current menu
• Use of the Ocean Wise logo to relevant menu items and display the Ocean Wise logo on-site
• Committing to the continual removal additional 'unsustainable' seafood options at a suggested rate of 1 every 6 moths. 
• A commitment to not adding any ‘unsustainable’ species to a menu as replacements for a species that has been removed
• Participating in info sessions for front line staff (workshop/seminar/reading material) provided by the Vancouver Aquarium
• Commitment to keeping staff informed of Ocean Wise and updated seafood information
• Participating in joint media events (optional)

We offer Ocean Wise as a free program because we believe everyone should have the opportunity to be involved and offer ocean-friendly seafood products to their patrons. We believe that it is the right thing to do, and a way that we can all help make a difference. We encourage active participation in the program – the more a member puts into the program, the more they will get out of it – so we encourage our partners to participate in Ocean Wise sanctioned events.

General Ocean Wise FAQ

Join the sustainable seafood initiative: Request information to join the Ocean Wise program