Fishing isn’t just our business—it’s in our blood.
In the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, a canastra was more than a basket. These sturdy fish carriers were hauled by peixairas, the women who sold the day’s catch shoreside. Over time, Canastra became a surname—passed down to mark the trade.
Our family originates from São Miguel, where the name first tied us to the sea. We brought that name—and that tradition—with us to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Today, Canastra Fishing Company remains grounded in the same values: hard work, respect for the ocean and a deep commitment to the fishing industry.
Cassie Canastra Larsen is at the helm of the Canastras operations today. Her father, Raymond, fished for many years—starting from the deck and eventually captaining his own vessel. After decades on the water, he saw firsthand how pricing systems often failed the very people doing the hardest work. So in 1994, he and his brother Richie co-founded the Whaling City Seafood Display Auction (now BASE) to bring fairness and transparency back to the docks, ensuring fishermen could earn honest prices for their catch.
Nearly two decades later, Cassie continues to steer that vision forward. Under her leadership, the Canastras have acquired vessels and secured state and federal permits to expand their fleet—not just to preserve New Bedford’s working waterfront, but to cast a wider net and connect it with markets beyond our harbor.
Built by fishermen, for fishermen, we know what it takes to bring in a dependable catch. Canastra Fishing Co. connects wholesale buyers with salt-of-the-sea sourcing—fresh, traceable seafood from America’s most profitable port.
And when you partner with us, you get more than product. You get a partner who stands behind the trade and the people who make it possible.
