Our Mission
Healthy, local seafood you can trust
At Hudson Valley Fisheries, we grow Steelhead trout year-round using advanced technology called Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) to minimize our impact on the environment. Learn more below!
Our Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) is a land-based, closed and controlled environment that allows us to grow Steelhead trout away from our oceans and close to the place of demand.
This means we have no impact on wild fish populations or the marine ecosystem, and are never exposed to external elements such as diseases or pollutants. As a result, we never have to use antibiotics, hormones or artificial dyes on our fish, offering customers a clean, healthy, and delicious source of protein raised responsibly in the U.S.
In addition, we work hard to minimize our impact on the environment. Our facility re-uses 95% of its water, upcycles its waste into fertilizer and is strategically located just north of NYC, allowing us to deliver to our customers at a fraction of the carbon emissions.
Our Process
1. Eggs
We source our eggs from a Certified Disease Free egg supplier in Washington state with a long history of exceptional genetics tracing back to wild ancestors. Our state-of-the-art incubators ensure optimum conditions for the eggs, giving them the best chance to thrive.
2. Nursery
Once hatched, our fry move into tanks, where they are fed for the first time. In the nursery, our fish grow from tiny egg to 35 g (1.23 oz) quickly due to highly nutritious feed and meticulous care by specially trained nursery technicians.
3. Feed
We believe that human nutrition begins with the feed that our fish eat. Working closely with our BAP certified feed supplier, we strive to ensure our fish are fed a wholesome diet free from antibiotics, hormones, and nonnutritive fillers. That means there is never any feather-meal, corn, or soy in our feed. We source fish meal and fish oil from responsibly managed fisheries and use the all-natural antioxidant (astaxanthin) which also gives wild salmon its wonderful red color.
4. Smolt
Once the fish get big enough, they move into the Smolt system. Here, the fish lose the ‘parr marks’ characteristic of younger fish and feed voraciously on our custom high-quality diet. Water quality, fish growth, and fish behavior are monitored carefully by aquaculture technicians. Fish in this system grow to around 800g (1.8lbs).
5. Grow-Out
From the Smolt system, the fish are transferred into our Grow-Out system, where they will remain until they are deemed ready to harvest at a target weight of 2.5 kg (5.5 lbs). Our fish finish their growth in this system and are tested regularly for product quality assurance (color, taste, texture, etc.).
6. Humane Harvesting
We’re proud to take fish welfare seriously. For our harvests we use an innovative electrostunning system. The fish quickly lose consciousness before they are dispatched, meaning no suffering for the fish and better fillet quality for the consumer.
7. Processing
Soon after harvest, our team processes all the fish right on-site. Whole fish are cleaned and gutted. Fresh fillets are deboned, portioned and vacuum-packed. Our unique location allows us to get fresh fish from tank to table within hours of harvest in NY and the Northeast area, and within 24 hours of shipping in the rest of the country.
8. Delivery
Your order is packed in an insulated box with cooling gel packs and delivered within 24 hours of shipping via UPS to maintain product freshness. All fresh product contains a temperature indicator to ensure no temperature breach occurred during transit.
9. Cooking
Our Steelhead trout is easy to cook, packed with healthy Omega-3s and delicious in a variety of ways. Leaner and with a less fishy taste than salmon, you can enjoy it seared, grilled, roasted or cured!Our Certifications
To ensure we maintain a safe and responsible process for our fish, our community and our environment,
we are audited and certified each year by Best Aquaculture Practices and NY State.
In addition, our Steelhead trout is rated Best Choice by Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)
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BAP is the only aquaculture certification program in the world that certifies each step of the production chain, from feed, to hatchery, farm and processing. We are proud to be 4-star certified across every area of the production chain.
NYS Grown & Certified
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Our products are grown locally in New York State and have been inspected for safe food handling and environmental stewardship. Buying products with this label helps to support local businesses and the local economy.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
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Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch helps consumers make responsible decision when purchasing seafood by providing a consumer guide with ratings on specific fish species. Our Steelhead trout has been rated "best choice" nationwide.