Lummi Island Wild honored by national foundation for fresh, sustainable food

A national foundation focused on shining a light on fresh, clean, ethical and sustainable food across the country recently honored a Whatcom County fishery business.

The Good Food Foundation, previously known as the Seedling Projects, supports and promotes farmers, grocers and food crafters through a variety of programs and awards. The foundation recently announced Lummi Island Wild is a 2026 finalist for its Canned Wild Pink Salmon and Smoked Wild Keta awards.

“The Good Food Awards recognizes that truly good food — the kind that brings people together and builds strong, healthy communities — contains all of these ingredients,” the foundation states on its website.

The awards review contestants in categories including cheeses, chocolates, preserves, spirits, honey, elixirs, beer, snacks and more.

“Being named a finalist for the Good Food Awards is a tremendous honor. The awards recognize excellence in flavor, responsible sourcing, and environmental stewardship, and we are proud to be included among producers setting a high standard for the food industry,” Ian Kirouac, president of Lummi Island Wild, wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald.

“Over the years, we have won several Good Food Awards across different product categories, including our smoked sockeye salmon and canned albacore tuna. To be nominated again is both affirming and motivating. We look forward to learning the results in the coming months and are honored to be under consideration,” Kirouac said.

What sets Lummi Island Wild apart? As The Good Food Awards recognizes clean, fresh and ethical food production, the local fisheries’ offerings are just that.

“Lummi Island Wild was founded on the belief that seafood can be harvested in a way that protects both the ocean and the fishing communities that depend on it. At the heart of our company is reefnet fishing, a method practiced in only one place in the world, in the Salish Sea in Legoe Bay off of Lummi Island. Salmon are guided into reef-based nets and brought aboard alive, allowing fishers to sort each fish individually and release non-target species unharmed. Our bycatch is near zero, which is remarkable in an industry where bycatch is often measured in metric tons,” Kirouac said.

Reef-net fishing is low-impact and selective, meaning it does not impact the long-term health of salmon populations and the local marine ecosystems, according to Kirouac. “Our reefnet gear operates using solar-powered systems directly on the water, reducing reliance on traditional fuel sources during harvest,” Kirouac said.

Lummi Island Wild is also focused on Whatcom County’s specific marine ecosystem, keeping operations as detailed as possible. Each and every fish caught in the local area is handled and processed individually, and delivered with full traceability, according to Kirouac.

“Environmental stewardship is part of our daily operations. It is grounded in responsibility to the resource and to future generations in Whatcom County,” Kirouac said.

“When you truly care about how food is sourced, how it impacts the ocean, and how it fuels your body, you make different choices. We believe good food comes from good practices, and it should be both deeply delicious and genuinely good for you,” Kirouac said.

Lummi Island Wild products are sold in some local stores such as Community Food Co-op, Haggen and Whole Foods Market, and are available to purchase through its website as a way to guarantee maximum freshness.

“All of our seafood is frozen immediately to lock in peak freshness. We flash freeze to sashimi-grade standards so that the fish tastes the same as the day it was caught. Unlike seafood counters, where you may not know how many times fish has been thawed and refrozen, our process ensures consistency, safety, and exceptional texture every time,” Kirouac said. “The result is seafood that is nutrient-dense, clean, and remarkably flavorful, delivered straight to your door.”

Lummi Island Wild ships its products nationwide except to Alaska and Hawaii. The company office is located at 3131 Mercer Ave. in Bellingham.

This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 12:00 PM.

Alyse Smith

The Bellingham Herald

Alyse Smith is a reporter at The Bellingham Herald covering retail, restaurants, jobs and business. If you like stories like this, please consider supporting our work with a subscription to our newspaper.