Pacific Kiss - BC Oysters

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British Columbia boasts thousands of years of shellfish knowledge

Last Updated: Sunday, February 5, 2012 10:29 pm EST

   Shellfish consumption has long played an important role in aboriginal culture and one doesn’t have to look far to find evidence in the many shell middens scattered throughout coastal British Columbia. Montague Harbour’s famous white-sand beaches are a direct result of 3,000 years of shellfish consumption; the midden in Namu, British Columbia is over 9 meters deep and spans over 10,000 years of continuous occupation; the ancient middens of the Broken Group Islands in Pacific Rim National Park; or in the Haida occupied lands of the Queen Charlotte Islands.

   Today, the tradition continues as shellfish aquaculture plays a growing role in the development and sustainability of rural First Nation communities throughout British Columbia. One of the most successful, Pentlatch Seafoods Ltd. is owned by the K’omoks First Nation on Vancouver Island. The company, which grows manila clams and Pacific oysters, provides year round employment for up to 20 people, has been awarded environmental awards for production methods. Additionally, they carry the Pacific Kiss stamp of approval and can be enjoyed in fine restaurants serving the Pacific Kiss Oyster Platter which offers the opportunity to compare flavours and experience an oyster tasting culinary tour of the West Coast oyster growing regions.

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