Where the Sea Meets the Market

It's 8:30 a.m. on another Saturday morning. The sky is just beginning to brighten; it's windy and cloudy.

Alex Sieg is unloading frozen and live fish from the boat's cabin into baskets on the table. He's hanging the steelyard and preparing for today's sales.

The seagulls and a sea lion wander around for free fish.

Alex Sieg, 27, a father of three, is one of the youngest fishermen at Steveston Fisherman’s Wharf. Despite his age, he has been fishing for 15 years.

Having started fishing at the age of 12 and graduated with a degree in fishing studies from UBC, he is undoubtedly a fish-catching expert. His parents run a shoreline restaurant that serves breakfast.

What sets him apart is that he sells sharks, unlike most other fishermen at the wharf who typically sell salmon and tuna.

However, his best seller is sole, which he keeps alive to ensure freshness.

A small line of customers had already formed.

"It's almost free!" Sieg called out with a grin.

Moments later, the deals were made.

Mr. and Mrs. Chen are the loyal customers who visit Sieg's shop every one or two weeks.

In B.C., Sieg’s customers range from local retail buyers to restaurants in Vancouver’s Chinatown, PriceSmart Foods, and even clients as far away as Kelowna. Beyond the local market, he also exports fish to international markets, including China and Japan. This brings him a decent income, but the journey is bittersweet.

The biggest challenge for Sieg is the “no sleeping part.” His longest fishing trip lasted 15 days, during which he could only sleep 2-3 hours a day.

He’s also faced extreme weather while sailing. Once, his boat completely rolled over.

“That was horrible,” he recalls.

Sieg talks about him once experiencing extreme weather.

He says that the moment he finishes fishing and begins the journey home is the one he enjoys the most.

“When you’re out at sea, you see nothing,” says Mo Rey, who specializes in cod and rockfish.

His boat, Lar Barka, is docked right next to Sieg’s. He points out that many people don’t realize just how much effort it takes to catch these fish.

Cod and rockfish typically live in deep waters, meaning fishermen have to venture far offshore to catch them. Rey says his crew often head up north to a place called Queen Charlotte Town, near the Alaska border.

“We catch a much bigger quantity of fish than most other people,” he says.

Unlike other types of fishing, catching rockfish isn’t limited to a specific season. “I can do it year-round,” he adds.

However, for Rey, the weather is his “worst enemy.” It doesn’t just affect fishing; it also impacts sales.

“Business in winter is usually slower than in summer,” he says, blaming the weather change for the drop.

In summer, people are more eager to go out and enjoy the sunshine and beautiful scenery. But in winter, especially during Vancouver’s rainy season, storms keep many customers indoors, making them less likely to brave the elements to buy fish.

Rey also notes that he hasn’t raised fish prices for 5–6 years, ever since the pandemic began.

Caroline owns the boat Jenic Pride, located at the very end of the dock, where only those who venture all the way can find her. During the week, she works full-time at a hospital, but on weekends, she comes to the wharf to sell fish caught by her husband, who is a seasonal fisherman.

Every Friday afternoon, as well as on Saturdays and Sundays, she and her boat quietly await customers by the water. On her table, there’s always a display of fresh, sashimi-grade salmon and tuna, ready to impress even the most discerning buyers.

Melody, a friend of Caroline, keeps her boat docked right next to Jenic Pride. Unlike Caroline, she both fishes and sells her catch herself, even spending weekends living aboard her boat.

“Our boats are regulated for safety equipment,” she says,

Melody loves her lifestyle, especially the opportunity to meet and chat with interesting people. “It’s very diverse and multicultural here,” she says.

Although winter impacts her income, she has learned to adapt.

“As a fisherman, you have to know how to balance and spread the money throughout the year.”

A senior waits in line at Melody's shop as the wharf buzzes with activity.

Steveston Fisherman’s Wharf, located in Richmond, BC, at the mouth of the Fraser River, is a charming fishing village and a hidden gem for seafood lovers. Ranked the #1 neighborhood in Metro Vancouver out of 192 in 2020, it is also known as Steveston Village and sits in the southwest corner of Lulu Island. Once a major hub for the fish processing industry along the lower Fraser River, much of it was declared a heritage zone in 1960, giving the area its nostalgic, old-world charm.

At the same time, it remains a bustling, working fishing village. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean ensures an abundance of fresh seafood, with daily catches of shrimp, crab, fish, and shellfish sold in generous portions at affordable prices, solidifying its reputation as a seafood paradise.

If you are a seafood lover, you might want to throw yourself here. Here, you will meet these lovely, hardworking human beings who bring the freshest catch to your table.

Image captions

If you are a seafood lover, you might want to throw yourself here. Here, you will meet these lovely, hardworking human beings who bring the freshest catch to your table.