In the vast expanse of the seafood industry, Bill Carvalho stands as a visionary pioneer whose journey spans over three decades. Having built a successful seafood company over 14 years, Carvalho's experience laid the foundation for his most ambitious venture yet. Twenty years ago, he founded Wild Planet Foods, a shelf-stable seafood company that would revolutionize the industry's approach to sustainability. Carvalho's story is one of unwavering commitment to ocean health, rooted in a childhood reverence for marine life and solidified by years of firsthand industry experience. From the shores of Northern California to the global stage, Carvalho has transformed Wild Planet from a local passion project into a national leader in sustainable seafood. As the company celebrates its 20th anniversary, Carvalho's journey serves as a testament to the power of perseverance, ethical business practices, and a deep-seated belief in the importance of preserving our planet's wild ecosystems.
As a child, I fell in love with life. I came to believe that all life forms are endowed with a sacred force originating from the Creator and thus should be deeply respected. On land and in the vast expanses of the seas, life is arguably finely tuned for the symbiotic promotion of life. National Geographic specials featuring Jacques Cousteau’s explorations inspired me to be an oceanographer but working with ocean resources didn’t begin until 1990 when I was 35 years old. In that year I started a company called Carvalho Fisheries and began buying and distributing seafood caught by local fishermen in Northern California and then expanded sourcing into Oregon. I found myself neck deep in issues of economic viability and environmental responsibility, which seemed to be mutually exclusive concerns.
The taking of life to sustain life is an awkward fundamental reality on planet Earth. Of all creatures, humans should do this with wisdom and respect for the ecosystems’ health and sustainability. When it is done as a business for profit, it truly becomes tricky business. Frankly, short term economic interests are utterly opposed to environmental interests. It will always be more profitable in the short term to decimate the ecosystem. But in the long-term, economy and ecology are inextricably tied to one another. Ecology must come first, because without healthy wild ecosystems, the planet will not support life. The thought of the miraculous, living biosphere being devastated for myopic economic benefit breaks my heart. A saying I once read seems so true: “Nature shrinks as capital grows.” This is plainly seen in the seafood business, and I witnessed it firsthand as a coastal seafood industry participant.
In 2001, I took my young family to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and was touched by an exhibit showing the impact of both overfishing and wasteful fishing. The snapshot of where this was heading, overlaid upon my deeply held moral principles, propelled me onto a course that was unheard of in those days. I decided to convert my business to 100% sourced from fisheries rated “eco-friendly” (the word sustainable wasn’t in use yet relative to seafood) by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. I stopped buying from boats that caught fish with nets. Net caught rockfish were half the price of hook and line rockfish. I had been buying both but now I was determined to stick to the highest standard of environmental compliance. This would take on a larger role in the tuna portion of my business.
My parents and siblings had always enjoyed local albacore tuna that we bought from the boats in Eureka, CA and canned in Mason jars at home. My Portuguese grandmother did this before I was born. The tuna is pristine as it is, simply fresh tuna loin with salt, cooked in the jar with nothing else. In 1998, I began buying tuna and exporting it to Spain. At a tuna conference in Astoria, WA, I discovered a small fisherman brand – Oregon Gourmet, that was selling this raw-packed, home style tuna by mail order (no online in those days). I realized I was in a good position to provide consumers nationwide with the quality of albacore tuna that our family enjoyed. I launched the brand Carvalho Family Albacore and exhibited at the San Francisco Fancy Food Show in 2001. We slowly grew sales, but I realized I needed to communicate not only the quality of the product but also its environmental superiority. Then one day in 2004 I had an epiphany, not only a brand name was born but also a name that would epitomize what should be the goal of every person alive – to restore and conserve the WILD PLANET!
The planet in its wild state is the most prolific for sustaining life. This planet cannot be domesticated with impunity. Its wild ecosystems should be respected and preserved. The brand name Wild Planet encapsulates the idea that humans can take from nature while preserving its wild biodiversity.
Much could be said here about selective harvest methods that do not result in bycatch mortality discard, limitation of efforts, policies of governance, etc. Suffice it to say that Wild Planet started out 20 years ago with a profound moral imperative to set the highest sourcing standards and has followed them unswervingly until now. Today, all brands want to be “sustainable” and “responsible.” Now it makes good business sense. However, when some multinational corporate interests, whose main business is catching tuna with nets, hijack the sustainability microphone, the result will be a lowering of what sustainability means. I am concerned that sustainability plagiarism will cloud the visibility of earnest consumers desiring to make best choices for the environment. As a pioneer in this category, I state clearly that buying any tuna product that is not pole and line, troll or handline caught, furthers the same practices that have harmed oceans’ health in the first place. Baby steps used to justify a claim of sustainably sourced are insufficient to reverse the damages to the ocean ecosystems already sustained.
To the fishermen holding to the ethically and sustainably superior methods of fishing, thank you for doing the right thing for the long-term health of the oceans. Wild Planet salutes those fishermen and women and has been pleased to bring more economic value to them for their tuna as Wild Planet pays a premium for pole and line tuna.
To our consumers, thank you for being part of our journey. Your commitment to making ethical choices, your curiosity about where your food comes from, and your willingness to advocate for change - these are the forces that can affect the future of our oceans. The future of our oceans isn't just in the hands of businesses and policymakers – it's in your hands too.
Here's to twenty years of swimming against the current as Wild Planet and to 34 years of work at ground zero of the seafood industry. I hope for many more years of making waves in the industry on behalf of all living things that I love.
Bill Carvalho
Founder, Wild Planet Foods
As Wild Planet Foods marks two decades of pioneering sustainable seafood practices, founder Bill Carvalho offers candid insights into the company's journey, philosophy, and vision for the future. Drawing from over 34 years of experience at the forefront of the seafood industry, Carvalho shares personal anecdotes, pivotal moments, and the driving force behind Wild Planet's unwavering commitment to ocean health and environmental stewardship. His responses not only illuminate the challenges and triumphs of building a sustainable seafood brand but also provide a glimpse into the passionate mind of an industry leader who has dedicated his life to protecting our oceans while providing consumers with superior, environmentally conscious products.
Q: What is your favorite Wild Planet product and why?
A: I love the Yellowtail fillets in organic extra virgin olive oil. That fish, which is not a tuna, is so delicate in flavor and firm in texture.
Q: Do you have a favorite recipe using Wild Planet products?
A: The Founder’s Favorite – a sardine Reuben sandwich. It is so simple but delicious. I just put Dijon, horseradish and sauerkraut on a piece of bread and add a couple of sardines, then roll it into a wrap and chow down!
Q: Why do you enjoy working at Wild Planet?
A: There is a worthy and noble purpose to provide consumer choices that fill the need for environmentally superior eating for millions. It has been an honor to pioneer a category to create a new kind of premium product that benefits so many in health and wellness. The respectful family environment at Wild Planet is refreshing and makes daily workload a pleasure.
Q: Can you share any pivotal turning points in Wild Planet's history?
A: In 2010, former CEO, Terry Hunt, our (then) VP of Sales, Tim Fiorino, and I had a meeting with a mainstream club store at their headquarters in Issaquah which was a turning point for the company. We negotiated a co-brand arrangement for our albacore and began sourcing the tuna to fulfill it. The upper management at this club store later cancelled the co-brand program, but since they didn’t want to leave a supplier in the lurch, they forced the distribution of our Wild Planet branded albacore 6-can sleeve to all regions and said: "Don't give the regions any reason to take you out." We mustered up the resources to do an MVM (national mailer advertised discount) and stayed in distribution in most regions. Later we added the remaining regions and since then have been present nationwide at this mainstream club store. Our brand had arrived on the national stage, and premium, raw-packed albacore became a national staple. We understand that the presence of full pallets at this club store was what caught the attention of the big tuna brands.
Q: What excites you most about Wild Planet's future?
A: I am hopeful that Wild Planet becomes so successful by leading in sustainable sourcing policies, that the rest of the brands will be forced to imitate our standards and that would lead to an industrywide shift to more sustainable practices.
Q: What does sustainability mean to you and why is it important?
A: Sustainability, to me, is about more than just maintaining the status quo – it's about actively working to improve the health of our planet for future generations. It means correcting the missteps of society, starting with the actions of individuals and families. This includes addressing issues like excessive consumption of industrially produced meat, overreliance on fossil fuels, the proliferation of plastics, and the exploitation of our natural resources. For consumers who are trying to make responsible choices for their families and the planet, sustainability is a guiding principle in navigating the complex world of food choices. It's crucial because it's about our very survival and the legacy we leave for our children and grandchildren. We need to shift our thinking from short-term gains to long-term stewardship of our planet. Through Wild Planet, I've tried to create a platform to inspire others to revere the planet and all life upon it. Because ultimately, sustainability isn't just about preserving resources – it's about preserving the wonder, beauty, and diversity of our wild planet for generations to come.
Q: What do you wish consumers knew about fishing, ocean health or environmental sustainability?
A: If there's one thing I wish every consumer understood, it's the profound impact their food choices can have on our planet's health. Specifically, I want people to realize that transitioning from industrially produced meat to wild, sustainably caught fish could be a paradigm shift for our environment. This simple dietary change has the power to save rainforests, wetlands, prairies, watersheds, and oceans.
Q: Any special Wild Planet memories you'd like to share?
A: January 2001 at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco (our first trade show), Operations Manager, Bill McCarthy, and I pitched wild-caught pole & line albacore, raw-packed "home-canned style." The brand was Carvalho Family Albacore. Attendees loved it, there had been no other such offering pitched at a trade show prior. We didn’t fully realize that we were creating a new standard in the premium canned tuna category.
I was asked by an attendee at that show: "Sure it's great, but how will you ever be able to let people know about it?" My answer was: "I guess we'll do it one person at a time!" And so, we did just that, four trade shows a year from then on.
Bill Carvalho's 34-year odyssey in the seafood industry, culminating in two decades at the helm of Wild Planet Foods, exemplifies how visionary leadership, unwavering dedication, and a profound commitment to sustainability can revolutionize an industry. From his early days distributing locally caught seafood to founding a company that has reshaped the sustainable seafood landscape, Carvalho has remained steadfast in his mission to protect ocean ecosystems while providing consumers with premium, responsibly sourced products. His journey, intertwining personal history with a global mission, offers both a reflection on the challenges overcome and a blueprint for a future where sustainable fishing practices and informed consumer choices can address global food security challenges while preserving our oceans. Through Carvalho's eyes, we see that Wild Planet is more than just a seafood company – it's a movement towards a more sustainable and responsible food system, proving that business can indeed be a powerful force for positive change in the world. As he looks to the future, Carvalho envisions the mission to protect our oceans continuing well beyond his own lifetime, carried forward by the values he's instilled in his company and the countless consumers he's inspired along the way. His story serves as an inspiring testament to the impact one individual can have when they combine passion, purpose, and perseverance in pursuit of a noble cause.
