Del Pacifico Seafoods

What Del Pacifico Seafoods does

Del Pacifico Seafoods LLC is a US-domiciled, Sinaloa, Mexico-headquartered wholesale distributor of premium wild-caught Mexican shrimp and complementary seafood, founded in 2014 by CEO Rubén Castro. The company sources exclusively from a network of 26 artisanal fishing cooperatives in Sinaloa and Sonora representing more than 4,000 fishermen who use the suripera day-boat technique — a wind- and tide-driven net method that the company asserts has the lowest bycatch and fuel consumption per pound in the world. Catch is processed at its Culiacán, Sinaloa facility, flash-frozen within hours, and routed to US retail and foodservice customers with lot-level provenance via the Wholechain blockchain traceability platform.

The product portfolio centers on Blue Mexican Shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris) in multiple formats — HOSO, HLSO, EZ Peel, P&D Tail-On, P&D Tail-Off, and a hand-chopped Wild Blue Shrimp Burger — and was extended in March 2022 to include responsibly farmed Pacific White Shrimp, Palmita Bay Oysters, and Pacific White Snook, and in March 2023 to wild-caught, fair-trade certified Mayan octopus from Yucatan. The company monetizes through one-time sales across three principal channels: enterprise foodservice (Nordstrom Restaurant Group's 200+ locations, Calico Fish House), premium retail grocery (Whole Foods Market nationwide, 27 Gelson's stores, H-E-B's Central Market), and direct-to-consumer e-commerce via Crowd Cow, Good Eggs, Fulton Fish Market, Vital Choice, and other specialty online retailers, plus a domestic Mexican e-commerce layer.

Del Pacifico's competitive position rests on a stack of independent third-party certifications (Fair Trade USA in 2016, Friend of the Sea in 2021, SEAL Sustainable Product Award in 2022, MSC In-Transition program) and a fair-trade premium mechanism that reinvests a percentage of every sale back into fishing communities for environmental and social programs. The company is privately held with no institutional funding rounds disclosed, 51–100 employees, and reported 10% YoY sales growth during 2020–2021. It operates as a US LLC with primary production in Mexico and a US contact office in La Jolla, California.

Name

Del Pacifico Seafoods

Legal name

Del Pacifico Seafoods LLC

Website

https://delpacificoseafoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Del Pacifico Seafoods is a US-Mexico wholesale distributor of fair-trade certified, wild-caught Blue Mexican shrimp and complementary seafood, sourced from 26 artisanal cooperatives in Sinaloa and Sonora and sold through premium US grocery, foodservice, and DTC channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wild-Caught Shrimp & Seafood

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (311710), Shellfish Farming (112512)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Shellfish Wholesale (Crustaceans & Mollusks) (AFAIADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shellfish Processing (Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Mollusks) (AFANADAC), Crustacean Farming (e.g., shrimp, prawns, crab) (AFAEAAAC), Value-Added Seafood Packaging (MAP/Vacuum, Portion Packs, Private Label) (AFANADAM)

Keywords

• Wild caught shrimp
• Sustainable seafood
• Fair trade seafood
• Mexican shrimp wholesale
• Seafood distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Downey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wild-Caught Mexican Shrimp Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling wild-caught Blue Mexican Shrimp in various formats including HOSO, HLSO, EZ Peel, P&D Tail On, P&D Tail Off, and Shrimp Burgers to retail and foodservice customers.
2. Aquaculture Products: Revenue from responsibly farmed shrimp (Pacific White Shrimp) and oysters (Palmita Bay Oysters) launched at Seafood Expo North America 2022, marking company's first foray into aquaculture market.
3. Mayan Octopus: Wild-caught Mayan octopus from Yucatan, Mexico - the only company in the world with wild-caught, fair-trade certified octopus.
4. Fair Trade Premium Products: Community impact premium program where a percentage of purchase goes back to fishing communities to fund social and environmental programs including school air conditioning, reforestation, bay cleanup, and local Red Cross support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Del Pacifico Seafoods harvests, processes, and distributes sustainable wild-caught Blue Mexican Shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris) and related seafood products sourced from artisanal fishing cooperatives in Sinaloa and Sonora, Mexico using the traditional suripera net technique. The company sells multiple product formats (HOSO, HLSO, EZ Peel, P&D Tail On, P&D Tail Off, and Shrimp Burgers) to retail grocery chains, foodservice operators, and online seafood retailers. Del Pacifico also markets fair-trade certified Mayan octopus and a small aquaculture line including Pacific White Shrimp, Palmita Bay Oysters, and Pacific White Snook.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wild Blue Mexican Shrimp Sustainably wild-caught Blue Mexican Shrimp (Litopenaeus stylirostris) offered in head-on shell-on (HOSO), headless shell-on (HLSO), easy peel, and peeled-and-deveined tail-on/tail-off formats for retail grocery, foodservice, and consumer sale.
• Wild Blue Mexican Shrimp Burgers Hand-formed shrimp patties made from whole wild-caught Blue Mexican Shrimp, chopped (not ground) with black pepper, garlic, and olive oil. Free of fillers and preservatives, gluten-free. Sold in 4x4oz packs at retail and online.
• Fair Trade Certified Wild-Caught Mayan Octopus Wild-caught Mayan octopus from the Yucatan coast, harvested from small pangas close to shore using wind and tide. The only fair-trade certified wild-caught octopus in the world, sold to retail and foodservice accounts.
• Aquaculture Pacific White Shrimp Responsibly farmed Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) offered as part of Del Pacifico's aquaculture line, introduced at SENA 2022 to complement its wild-caught offerings.
• Palmita Bay Oysters Responsibly farmed oysters branded as Palmita Bay Oysters, part of Del Pacifico's aquaculture line launched in 2022 for retail and foodservice distribution.
• Pacific White Snook (Robalo) Responsibly farmed Pacific White Snook (Robalo) finfish introduced as part of Del Pacifico's 2022 aquaculture product line for retail and foodservice accounts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lowest bycatch and fuel consumption per pound of shrimp in the world
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Fair Trade USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Fair Trade USA certification partnership making Del Pacifico the first shrimp company worldwide to achieve Fair Trade Certification. The certification covers labor, trade and responsible environmental practices, allowing the company to command premium pricing and support fishing communities through fair trade premiums.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSC In Transition to MSC (ITM) program guides Del Pacifico's fisheries towards MSC certification for sustainable fishing practices. The company is implementing improvements to meet MSC standards and has onboard observer programs gathering data for future certification.
• WholechaincoreTechnology or IntegrationWholechain blockchain traceability platform enables Del Pacifico to track products from source to final consumer, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain. Each package bears lot numbers for full traceability.
• Friend of the SeacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriend of the Sea eco-certification awarded to Del Pacifico's wild-caught Blue Mexican shrimp, recognizing sustainable fishing methods that respect and protect the marine environment.
• Chef Andrew Gruel / Calico Fish HouseflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with sustainable seafood advocate Chef Andrew Gruel to showcase Fair Trade Wild Blue Mexican Shrimp at his new Calico Fish House restaurant in Huntington Beach, CA. Features multiple menu items using Del Pacifico shrimp.
• Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDel Pacifico participates in ASC marketing events and promotions to raise awareness of certified sustainable seafood. The company attended ASC Shrimp Summit and participates in certified seafood celebrations.
• Fishing Cooperatives (Sinaloa & Sonora)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with 26 fishing cooperatives in Sinaloa and Sonora states involving more than 4,000 fishermen. These artisanal fishermen use suripera nets and participate in fair trade certification, onboard observer programs, and community development initiatives.
• Nordstrom Restaurant GroupflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor foodservice partnership where Del Pacifico supplies wild-caught shrimp for Nordstrom Restaurant Group's 200+ locations including specialty coffee bars, quick service and full service restaurants. Named Supplier of the Month.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Trident Seafoods: Vertically integrated US seafood producer and marketer with broad retail and foodservice penetration. Comparable as a large incumbent seafood company whose scale and existing retail relationships set the competitive bar Del Pacifico must clear for incremental shelf space.
• Thai Union Group: World's largest seafood company and parent of Chicken of the Sea, operating globally in shrimp and other seafood across retail and foodservice. Sets competitive benchmarks on cost, scale, and shelf-share that Del Pacifico must compete against in the shrimp category.

Direct peers

• Wild Planet Foods: Sustainability-focused shelf-stable seafood brand (tuna, sardines, salmon) with retail distribution and a similar consumer-facing sustainable-seafood positioning. Comparable as a certified-sustainable seafood CPG brand competing for premium retailer shelf space.
• Pacific Seafood: Family-owned US seafood processor and distributor serving retail, foodservice, and wholesale customers across the West Coast and beyond. Comparable vertically integrated seafood business with similar mix of own-brand processing and broad distribution.
• Pacifico Aquaculture: Mexico-based aquaculture producer of Pacific white shrimp focused on sustainable, ASC-certified farmed shrimp sold to US retailers and foodservice. Closest direct peer on the aquaculture shrimp side of Del Pacifico's now-expanded product portfolio.
• Vital Choice: DTC sustainable seafood retailer carrying premium wild-caught products including seafood sold by Del Pacifico. Comparable as a direct-to-consumer sustainable seafood platform targeting health-conscious consumers with similar sourcing narratives.
• Beaver Street Fisheries: US seafood processor and distributor selling frozen and value-added seafood products to retail, foodservice, and government channels. Comparable as a privately held seafood wholesaler/processor competing in similar channels and product categories.
• North Coast Seafoods: Sustainable seafood processor and distributor supplying restaurants and retailers across the US. Operates a similar vertically oriented model (sourcing, processing, distribution) with comparable retail and foodservice customers.
• Sea to Table: American wild-caught sustainable seafood company distributing directly to consumers and via select retailers. Operates a similar traceability-and-quality narrative around US-caught wild species, making it a directly comparable premium seafood brand to Del Pacifico.
• Fulton Fish Market: Premium seafood retailer and online marketplace that both sells Del Pacifico shrimp and competes in the same premium US seafood distribution space. A directly comparable seafood marketplace with overlapping customer and product categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/delpacificoSF
• Facebookfacebook.com/delpacificoseafoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/del-pacifico-seafoods-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Del Pacifico Seafoods