Original Fish

We are great believers that sustainably caught and farmed fish & seafood is the perfect food: Very healthy, produced in an environmentally friendly way and incredibly tasty!
Nobody can deny that there are abuses in fishing – the good news is that there are also countless examples that allow fish to be enjoyed with a clear conscience! Our motivation is to offer our customers the best quality and most sustainable products from the seas, lakes and rivers in the most direct and transparent way – thanks to our online delivery service throughout Switzerland.

Transparency

At Original Fish, we attach great importance to the authenticity of our products, which is why we provide our customers with as much detail as possible about the origin and fishing methods. Through our local partner companies, who share our quality and sustainability standards, we ensure that we only receive the best products from selected day boats using environmentally friendly fishing methods. We source our fresh fish mainly from the French Atlantic coast.
In the case of farmed fish, we personally know the farms with which we pursue long-term partnerships. After all, we want our customers to know where the products come from.

Appreciation

Fish & seafood, as well as the nature from which they originate, deserve the highest appreciation. That is why Original Fish is committed to bringing the best quality products to the customer while avoiding unnecessary waste. That is why we only work online on a pre-order basis. This means that our customers receive the best product from the fishing boat directly to their home in the shortest possible time.

Quality

Original Fish is committed to the best quality fish & seafood. With the best raw materials and experienced know-how, we ensure that the quality and therefore the enjoyment is maximised. What is important to us?

Fishing method: We favour line fishing, fish traps or selective gillnets, as these ensure that the catch is handled with care. In contrast, fish from huge trawls, for example, are crushed under tonnes of other fish, which has a negative impact on quality.

Day boats: The larger the fishing boat, the longer the trips out to sea and the older the fish when it is landed. That’s why we prefer fish from traditional small boats that are at sea for no more than 1 – 2 days.

Handling: How the fish is handled along the value chain all the way to the customer is crucial. Careful handling after the catch, rapid refrigeration, short transport routes and a minimum of repackaging maintain quality.

Seasonality: Depending on the fish species, the time of year can have an impact on quality. The changing food supply throughout the year as well as the spawning season, when the fish invest their energy in reproduction (spawning and seed production, migration, etc.), can have a negative or positive effect on quality. We therefore do not offer anything that is not currently available in good quality.

Supplier selection and traceability: Working with small companies ensures complete traceability and we can be sure that all those involved work according to our quality standards and that only the best products reach our customers.

Freshness: Is, but does not have to be, a quality feature. Most fish only develop their full flavour after passing through rigor mortis. Correct killing (e.g., by Ike-Jime) and maturing (see dry ageing) can lead to a new flavour experience that is second to none.

Ice: We do not present or store our fish on ice, which has a positive effect on flavour and shelf life.

Sustainability

Fortunately, sustainability and quality often go hand in hand: we source fish & seafood from small-scale coastal fisheries. Small fishing boats are not only able to deliver better quality, but also minimise the impact on the environment and fish stocks. In comparison, it is estimated that the 1% largest fishing boats (mostly trawlers/factory vessels) land around 50-60% of the world’s annual catch.
Fish and seafood from traditional fisheries are also socially sustainable, as jobs, added value and culture are also preserved in structurally weak, rural coastal areas.
How do we define our sustainability criteria?

Regenerative populations: We source fish & seafood exclusively from populations that are stable or increasing.

Fishing methods: The aim is to minimise bycatch and the impact on the environment, e.g., on the seabed. We therefore mainly rely on targeted and gentle fishing methods such as line fishing or gillnets.

Short transport routes: In addition to regional Swiss products, we source most of our products from the nearby French Atlantic coast by lorry and reduce transport by plane to a minimum.

Zero-waste strategy: throwing away valuable fish is both ecologically and culinarily problematic. That’s why we only use pre-orders for online orders. This means we don’t keep any stock with the corresponding markdowns and the delicacies are always as fresh as possible when they arrive at our customers.

Fishing environmental labels (MSC, ASC, etc.): Such labels generally set good minimum standards. However, as often only large or industrially managed fisheries can afford the expensive certification process, non-certified goods are not necessarily bad. This is why our fish from environmentally friendly, small-scale coastal fisheries is usually not certified.