More than a decade before sustainable became the seafood industry's favorite buzzword, Henry & Lisa Lovejoy started a company that would sell sustainable seafood - and only sustainable seafood. To give his company's claims credibility, he put together an independent advisory board of leading environmental conservationists. Before Lovejoy's new company could sell any seafood the advisory board had to approve it.

Before he founded EcoFish in 1999, Lovejoy was exporting Maine lobsters, which took him to seafood markets in Asia and Europe. It was after taking those trips that he decided there was no future for him in the commodity side of the fish business. Sales of organic foods were taking off, so maybe there were enough buyers out there who would pay a premium for seafood that was produced in an environmentally responsibly way. So Lovejoy left New England and hit the road to find fishermen and fish farmers who could ship directly to his customers around the country. "We naturally went for the lowest hanging fruit first, meaning white tablecloth chefs. We worked closely with the Chef's Collaborative, a group that embraces sustainability as much as we do. Chefs care personally about these issues," he said.

While chefs were a good start, he wanted to get into retail to connect directly with consumers and to do that he needed a brand. But branding isn't cheap, so he got some capital from Sea Change Management, the private-equity firm that invests in seafood companies committed to sustainability. To give their products a personal, friendly face, he and his wife, Lisa, came up with the idea of branding themselves. Today, Henry & Lisa's Natural Seafood brand of value-added sustainable seafood products are sold in more than 3,500 retail outlets around the country. The line includes frozen products made from more than a dozen species, from breaded Alaska pollock nuggets to a line of gourmet entrees such as Alaska Salmon with Asian Ginger Marinade, developed with the help of celebrity chefs.

While sustainability is the core of their business, Lovejoy says that what resonates most with consumers is the health message. "We found that consumers care about sustainability, but secondarily to their personal wellness. The healthy, natural sustainable message has served us well."

Click here to view EcoFish's products and remember to tell them you found them on FishChoice when you contact them.