Custom
Sport Fish Processing

Sport Processing Rates

Custom Canning

  • Canned Salmon 3.15/can
  • Smoked & Canned Salmon 3.95/can
  • Canned Tuna 3.65/can
  • Smoked & Canned Tuna 4.45/can

Shelf-life: best-before date is five years from point of canning. Ready to eat out of the can; no cooking required.
Shipping: Ground courier.
Cost: billed based on the number of cans produced
Approx. yield:
Salmon: 1.4 – 2.0 cans per lb
Tuna: 0.9 -1 .2 cans per lb

Candied | Honey Glazed

  • Candied Salmon 5.50/lb
  • Peppercorn Candied Salmon 5.75/lb
  • Candied Tuna 6.00/lb
  • Peppercorn Candied Tuna 6.00/lb

Shelf-life: 2 years from point of smoking/processing. If seal is intact.
Shipping: Express courier shipping (overnight or 2 day shipping)
Cost: Billed based on the incoming weight of your fish.
Approx. yield:
Salmon: 40-60% 
Tuna: 30-40%

Hot Smoked

  • Hot smoked salmon 4.50/lb
  • Peppercorn hot smoked salmon 4.75/lb
  • Hot smoked tuna 4.85/lb
  • Peppercorn hot smoked tuna 5.45/lb

Shelf-life: 2 years from point of smoking/processing. If seal is intact.
Shipping: Express courier shipping (overnight or 2 day shipping)
Cost: Billed based on the incoming weight of your fish.
Approx. yield:
Salmon: 40-60%
Tuna: 30-40%

Cold Smoked | Lox

  • Salmon Lox 4.75/lb

    Cold smoked salmon fillet that has been carefully deboned for easy consumption.

  • Pre-Sliced Salmon Lox 6.45/lb

    Thinly sliced, cold smoked salmon fillet that has been carefully deboned for easy consumption.

  • Tuna Lox 5.35/lb

    Cold smoked tuna fillet that can be used as a substitute for salmon lox and is commonly served with breakfast dishes like bagels.

  • Pre-Sliced Tuna Lox 6.50/lb

    Thinly sliced, cold smoked tuna fillet that is often used as a substitute for salmon lox and served with bagels or other breakfast foods.

Shelf-life: 2 years from point of smoking/processing. If seal is intact.
Shipping: Express courier shipping (overnight or 2 day shipping)
Cost: Billed based on the incoming weight of your fish.
Approx. yield:
Salmon: 40-60%
Tuna: 30-40%

Fillets, Steaks & Loins

  • Salmon Filleting 3.00/lb

    Cut into approximately 1 lb pieces

  • Salmon Steaks 3.00/lb

    Cut into approximately 1 inch steaks

  • Tuna Loins 3.95/lb

    Cut into approximately 1 lb pieces

Shelf-life: 2 years from point of smoking/processing. If seal is intact.
Shipping: Express courier shipping (overnight or 2 day shipping)
Cost: Billed based on the incoming weight of your fish.
Approx. yield:
70-75% for salmon fillets
90% for salmon steaks.
40-45% tuna loins.

How should I get my fish done?

Sport-caught fish that has been handled with care can be processed in any way with good results...

..but we recommend these options for optimal products.

Cost & Yield Calculator


*Yield and cost are based on an incoming weight of fish with the head off and guts out.

*Cost is based on incoming weight for Smoked, Candied, Lox, Fillets/Steaks/Loins, and vacuum pack only.

*Cost for cans and smoked cans are based on the yield (per can)

Extras & Add Ons

  • Vacuum packing only 2.75/lb

    No processing done, just vacuum packed.

  • 1/2 lb packaging 0.75/lb

    Package all your fish into 1/2 lb bags. (1lb is standard)

  • Pin Bone out 0.50/lb

    Remove pin bone from fish. (Cold smoked salmon / Lox comes standard)

  • Skin-off 0.50/lb

    Remove skin from fish for hot smoke, cold smoke candied or steak/fillet processing

  • Skinless Boneless Canned Salmon 0.30/lb

    Remove skin and pin bone before canning. (Tuna comes standard)

Sport Fishing Order Inquiry

Wondering about your order?

If you have a sport fish order with us, please fill out the contact form below if you have a question. Our sport fish staff will respond promptly via e-mail or phone.

The most common questions we receive are about the shipping of frozen seafood. Once your frozen order is complete, we will contact you to arrange a delivery date and confirm the delivery address. We will never ship any frozen orders without making these arrangements, so you do not need to worry about frozen fish arriving on an unexpected day.

If we cannot reach you for any reason, we will hold your frozen orders in our freezer until contact can be made.

For the form below, please ensure that you include the full name that is written on the processing receipt as well as the Master Number (the red six-digit number in the upper-right corner of your processing receipt). Our staff can find the status of your order and answer questions much more quickly with this information.

Getting Your Fish to St. Jean's

June, 2021: we are accepting sport fish for processing and will continue to do so throughout the summer season. Please visit any of the drop-off locations listed below. Thank you for your support!

Whether you are fishing at a lodge, on your own, or with a guide, getting your fish to St. Jean’s is a straightforward process.

  • Lodges: If you are fishing at a lodge, just ask the staff about sending your catch to St. Jean’s Cannery and they will fill you in on shipping and processing details. We have agreements in place with virtually every lodge on the West Coast, so it doesn’t matter if you are fishing in Haida Gwaii, Rivers Inlet, Port Alberni, or Campbell River–getting your fish to us is easy.
  • Depots: There are many depots on the West Coast where you can drop your fish off for us in addition to our stores in Nanaimo, Delta/Tilbury, Port Alberni, Campbell River, and Richmond (YVR Airport). Simply drop off your fish at the depot and we will arrange transport to our facility. As well, we can ship your finished product back to a number of these depots for your convenient pickup. There is no extra charge for dropping or picking up at a depot on Vancouver Island or the Lower Mainland (Greater Vancouver). No other processor can offer you this convenience!

Port Alberni

Gift Store & Depot

Campbell River

Gift Store & Depot

Delta (Tilbury)

Gift Store & Depot

Richmond (YVR)

Gift Store & Depot
YVR South Terminal

Nanaimo

Main Processing Facility
Gift Store & Depot

Nootka Sound

Moutcha Bay Resort

Masset Airport

Drop off services are temporarily on hold.

Tofino

Tofino Resort & Marina

Ucluelet

Ukee Seafood and Fish Pack (formerly Far West)

Vancouver

Please visit our Delta & YVR South Terminal locations for sport fish service

Sport Fishing Lodges

Enjoy your sport fishing experience in British Columbia!

The Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia (SFI) has represented the interests of over 300,000 tidal water anglers and related businesses to elected officials, management agency staff, other fishery sectors and the non-angling public since 1981. St. Jean’s Cannery & Smokehouse is a proud member of the SFI.

The SFI is also a valuable resource for sport fishers in British Columbia and those wishing to visit B.C. and learn more about sport fishing opportunities in the province.

SalmonForever.ca highlights the SFI’s conservation strategies and the economic impact of sport fishing on B.C.’s economy.

Sport Fish FAQ

We process sport-caught salmon, tuna, halibut, and ground fish. (We are not accepting trout at this time.)

Please contact us if you have any questions about other species. As well, while high-quality fish of any species can be processed in any way with decent results, we can recommend processes that will work best with your catch.

Most people transport their fish in coolers with ice. Do not wrap your fish in newspaper, tissue paper, or plastic wrap. If you are freezing your fish at home before bringing to St. Jean’s, please wrap it in freezer paper.

We can accept fish fresh or frozen. Fish can be whole, cleaned (heads off/guts out), or filleted. To comply with DFO regulations, please ensure you are able to identify individual fish during transport.

We always weigh your fish when you drop it off. Because all non-canned processing is billed based on incoming weight, you are at an advantage if you bring in fish that is already cleaned, with heads off and guts out. If you are canning your fish, you only pay for the cans you receive, so there is no cost benefit to filleting your fish beforehand; however, leaving the guts in causes your fish to degrade much more rapidly, so you are strongly advised to clean your fish beforehand in order to maximize the quality of the fish meat.

Often, during busy periods (including the heart of sport fish season, from June-October), we will not accept fish with guts. To be on the safe side, always clean your fish!

Most fishing lodges on the BC coast have shipping arrangements with us; simply speak to your guide or host. We also have a series of drop-off depots in western BC that can ship your fish to our processing plant. Click here to see a list of our drop-off locations.

You will need to allow 10-12 weeks for processing and delivery, especially during the peak of the sport fish season (mid-July to mid-September). However, most orders will be completed much more quickly (3-5 weeks).

The fish processing itself is quite fast and completed over a handful of days once your fish is in our plant, but typical delays are due to sport fish volume, packaging backlogs, and courier requirements. Hand-filleting and hand-packing fish is definitely slower than what machines can do, but we believe the resulting quality is worth it!

Note: international orders (outside of Canada & USA) often take longer because of volume shipping and customs requirements outside of St. Jean’s controls.

We have developed a comprehensive tracking system to ensure that you receive your own fish back, beginning with your initial processing card. Each card–filled out in triplicate–documents the store, depot, or lodge drop-off point and assigns a master receipt number to your order. Futher paperwork is produced for every process request. This information stays with your fish during the entire process: when it is received, weighed, filleted/portioned, packaged/canned, and boxed up for delivery or shipping.

This level of tracking is another reason why our sport fish turn-around times may not be lightning-quick, but it’s the right way to ensure you receive the one that didn’t get away!

Most canned salmon and tuna are cooked twice; once before canning, and once during the canning process. However, we only cook our fish once, during the canning process. We believe that this allows the fish to retain more of its natural flavour and nutrients, and it’s still ready to eat right out of the can. As well, we don’t add any extra water, oil, or fillers to our canned salmon and tuna. Finally, we hand-pack all of our cans to ensure that portions are correct and quality is always high!

Our operating hours at our retail stores and processing plant vary depending on the season. Please refer here to find current hours.

 
 

Don’t see your questions in our Frequently Asked Questions list? Drop us a line at info@stjeans.com or call toll-free 1-866-754-3191. We’ll be happy to help.