about Otolith

At Otolith, providing the highest quality seafood and supporting environmental sustainability in the seafood industry are our top priorities.

Through our exclusive relationships with small fisheries and our extensive knowledge of the managing council’s records for each region of every species we offer, Otolith continues an Alaskan tradition of supplying the world’s best seafood while bringing a 21st Century environmental awareness to the process. A family-owned business, Otolith has combined professional commercial fishing experience with education in the biological sciences to promote and distribute sustainable seafood.

Since 1999, we have sought to:

  •                 Encourage responsible harvest methods
  •                 Reward harvesters who promote effective management of sustainable fisheries
  •                 Provide transparent and unbiased evaluations of seafood resource management
  •                 Network the shared interests of responsible seafood consumers

Otlolith always proudly represents the interests of sustainable fisheries and maintains a commitment to informed and active participation in the management of renewable seafood resources.  Otolith is a company where customers can ask hard questions about mercury, PCB’s stock assessment levels, harvest techniques and more.  In order to increase access to sustainable seafood, Otolith has created a Community Supported Seafood [CSS] Program that allows consumers wholesale price access to the finest fish available while utilizing farmers’ markets and other cooperative relationships to make CSS delivery convenient for everyone.

The CSS 2013 spring Harvest is open for Halibut, Rockfish and Sablefish until the fish is landed an en route to Otolith in Philadelphia.  It guarantees approx. 10 lbs of sushi grade blast/frozen vacuum/sealed 1lb packs of fish. Details at www.otolithonline.com; click CSS.  Follow the direction to enroll in CSS.

Brief Biography of Otolith Managing Partner, Amanda Bossard

In 1992 just out of high school Amanda Bossard started her education in marine biology atAlaska Pacific University in Anchorage,AK.  Bossard started her career in commercial seafood in 1999 when she began working on board the F/V Sunset, a 65’ halibut schooner turned salmon tender for Murat Aritan, a commercial fisherman since 1993.  Bossard and Aritan are now married and have joined forces to stake their claim to their industry. They are supporters of conservative and profitable renewable seafood resource management.

In 2007, now a mother of two children, Bella age 3 and Andre’ 1, Bossard then returning to living in Philadelphia, opened a direct market wholesale seafood distributor named Otolith.  Its name is an affectionate reminder of her intimate fish biology knowledge and her husband’s long connection in the seafood industry often keeping them apart for 5 months or more at a time while they focus on financial and environmental goals which reflect both their independence and commitment to their community, wherever they call home.

As of July 2016, Bossard and her daughter, Isabella age 12, and son, Andre’ age 10, return to Southeast Alaska annually each summer to work as deckhands throughout the summer wild salmon harvest.  In a small 42′ salmon troller using hooks and lines to catch their targeted salmon, they join Aritan for two months selling to local processors and continuing to grow their direct market seafood products sold through Otolith Sustainable Seafood by way of purchasing the custom processing services of small processors to create unique wild seafood products that reflect their dedication to quality and the environment.