We are on a mission. 

True Fin is on a mission to make fish better...For the ocean, the harvesters, and YOU!

There are a lot of fish companies out there. Like, thousands. And they successfully move mind-boggling amounts of seafood around the world every day.

So why (oh why) did we start a new one?

Put simply, we saw major untapped opportunity with our region’s fish. Compared with fisheries and farms around the world, the Gulf of Maine can produce a really small volume of fish. We are just a blip on the global seafood marketplace. But small volume also means there’s opportunity to differentiate on quality. Meanwhile, we also noticed that the best quality, most expensive fish is also imported, and high-end consumers wish they could access more locally harvested fish. Voila! Opportunity!

But, it’s also really personal.

For years, we’ve watched our commercial fishing friends go out of business; strong, resilient captains tearful as they watch their way of life come crashing down. Even those who have survived mourn an industry and communities of people who no longer exist while they wonder how much longer they’ll hang on. We hear first-hand accounts of fishermen landing their catch and getting a bill, rather than a paycheck, because the prices for the fish were too low to cover their costs.

Things can, and should, work better. We are on a mission to establish a reputation for the region as the source for the best quality seafood in the world. We envision a time when harvesters receive a premium for their catch, and they are financially secure enough to proactively invest in fisheries research, safety gear, new boats, and technology. 

Put simply, we want to make the seafood world a better place. And, we might be just one of thousands of seafood companies, but we are one of a kind.

True Fin History

True Fin is the first mission-driven business venture launched as part of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s Gulf of Maine Ventures initiative, which aims to address important challenges facing the Gulf of Maine region and the globe through the incubation, acceleration, and funding of new for-profit business ventures.

True Fin* originated from within GMRI as a business concept developed by CEO Jen Levin, based on her work supporting the region’s seafood economy prior to the company’s launch. The institute incorporated the company as a wholly owned subsidiary to support its early-stage incubation and growth.

 *True Fin launched as Gulf of Maine Sashimi, Inc.