Norah Eddy and Laura Johnson
Norah Eddy and Laura Johnson, both 29, have worked on fishing vessels and in fisheries around the globe and share a commitment to accelerating change in the seafood industry.
Their nearly three-year-old company, Salty Girl Seafood, supports small-scale fishermen and fisheries that harvest sustainably. They guarantee traceable seafood to consumers and promote stewardship of the oceans. Taking the guesswork out comes at a higher price than cheap seafood, which investigations have shown is often mislabeled.
“We had worked with so many fishermen who are doing great things on the ocean, contributing to our global food stability,” says Johnson. “Given our experience we were shocked by rampant mislabeling in the industry. That really got our wheels going, one of the biggest issues that sparked the idea for Salty Girl. We wanted to be a company that provided an alternative to that [mislabeled seafood].”
In 2014, the pair initially focused on selling to local restaurants and catering companies, then pivoted when they recognized a bigger opportunity to supply consumers who were looking for reliably sourced seafood to cook at home. They quickly developed a wild-caught, seasoned retail line of Alaskan salmon, Pacific rockfish, and black cod, and began selling fresh-frozen, portioned packages at Bristol Farms in California and other outlets.
“The whole idea started with the question can a business model provide sustainability?” Eddy says. “We want to push the needle toward a healthier fish population and a healthier community as a result, and replicate that model in fisheries across the world.”
Highlights
2012—Norah Eddy and Laura Johnson met as graduate students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and found they had similar backgrounds working on fishing vessels and in fisheries all over the world. They began looking into the lack of transparency in the industry and problems with illegal fishing.
2014—The women registered Salty Girl Seafood as a business and launched the company the day they graduated, making their first sale—20 pounds of wahoo—to a local caterer. Partnered with Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch to guide decision-making on sustainable fish. Joined 1% For the Planet, a movement that allows socially and environmentally conscious businesses to give back 1% of annual sales to nonprofits.
2015—Sold wild-caught Alaskan salmon to retailers and followed up with Pacific rockfish and black cod. Won $5,000 at the international Fish 2.0 competition held at Stanford University and were also named best women-owned business by Pacific Coast Business Times.
2016—Rollout in Whole Foods Markets in Northern California. Partnered with Fishwise.org to promote the health and recovery of ocean ecosystems. Eddy was nominated for a Spirit of Entrepreneurship award in Santa Barbara County and shared her win with Johnson.