The 4 Best Seafood Finds at Costco, According to a Fisheries Scientist

These expert-recommended picks are sustainable, accessible, and delicious.

Korin Miller

Sun, November 1, 2026 at 10:01 AM UTC

5 min read

*Credit: Food & Wine / Costco Wholesale / Getty Images*

Key points

Fisheries scientist Emily De Sousa recently shared her favorite seafood finds at Costco on social media, highlighting products that are both high quality and sustainably sourced.
De Sousa says she loves Costco's seafood selection because the chain requires that purveyors meet high standards to get their products on shelves.
Although De Sousa is based in Canada, four of her favorite seafood finds at Costco are available in the United States.

According to Emily De Sousa, a fisheries scientist and the founder of Seaside with Emily — a science-focused resource for seafood lovers — one of the best places to shop for seafood is a superstore you may already know and love. The fisheries scientist recently shared her favorite seafood finds from Costco on Instagram, highlighting high-quality, sustainably sourced, and affordable options.

It can be difficult to determine exactly where your seafood comes from and how it was caught. "Seafood has some of the most complicated supply chains on the planet," De Sousa explains. "It's the most globally traded food product in the world. A single fillet can be caught in one country, processed in another, and sold in a third before it ever hits your plate."

She appreciates Costco's transparency in its seafood sourcing and its commitment to strict quality standards. According to De Sousa, "Getting seafood onto a Costco shelf is hard. Suppliers, fishermen, and farmers have to be incredibly diligent and meet high environmental, social, and food safety standards just to earn that spot."

The scientist calls Costco's frozen seafood selection "unbeatable," praising its variety and consistent quality. She also points out that frozen fish is often a better choice than fresh options at the seafood counter. "Fish frozen at sea, within hours of being caught, is often fresher than the 'fresh' fillet that's been sitting on ice for days," she notes.

De Sousa doesn't just talk up Costco's fish and shellfish — she regularly shops at the bulk retailer herself. Although she's based in Canada, where Costco's selection differs slightly from that in the United States, she has four seafood favorites you can find in U.S. warehouses.

Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon

*Credit: Food & Wine / Costco Wholesale*

De Sousa calls this fish "one of the best deals you'll find" among wild Alaskan salmon. The Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon fillets are individually vacuum-sealed, making it easy to thaw only what you need and save the rest for later. "A wild Alaskan sockeye and a farmed Atlantic salmon are both salmon, but they're completely different fish on the plate," the scientist says.

This salmon is on the leaner side and boasts a deep red color. At $45 for a 3-pound bag with eight servings, each portion costs about $5.60. While that may seem like a steep sticker price up front, it's a steal for wild-caught salmon. Plus, you can store the extra fish in the freezer until you need it.

Ekone Smoked Oysters Variety Pack

This is the perfect Costco find to grab before the holiday party season kicks into gear. The Ekone Smoked Oyster Variety Pack includes eight tins of smoked oysters in three flavors: original, habanero, and lemon pepper. De Sousa describes the product as "smoky, rich, elevated tinned fish" and says she serves hers simply with crackers and hot sauce.

These oysters are sustainably farmed along the Pacific Northwest coast. Ekone sources its oysters from Taylor Shellfish Farms, a family-owned operation that's raised shellfish since the 1890s. The variety pack costs about $80, which works out to just $10 per tin — buying an individual tin from Ekone will set you back $15.

Taylor Shellfish Fresh Live Mussels

This is the only shellfish on De Sousa's list that isn't frozen or canned. "Farmed mussels are one of the most sustainable proteins on the planet," she explains. "They filter the water they grow in and need zero feed." On top of that, the scientist notes that the fresh Taylor Shellfish mussels at Costco are "wildly affordable" and can be on your table, ready to eat, in about 10 minutes.

Like Taylor Shellfish Farms' oysters, these mussels are sustainably grown. They have buttery meat, glossy black shells, and typically cost between $10 and $13 per pound. Make sure you cook these within a few days of purchase, because raw mussels can't be frozen.

Northwest Fish Sablefish Loins

De Sousa refers to sablefish, more commonly known as black cod, as "the fish chefs love and home cooks haven't discovered yet." Like the Kirkland Signature salmon, Northwest Fish's sablefish loins are individually packaged and frozen for convenience. The fisheries scientist describes the flaky white fish as "buttery, rich, and delicious."

Because it's a fattier fish, sablefish can easily develop a crispy skin. Line-caught off the coast of Alaska, these rich pieces of premium fish shine when simply seared in a skillet. They're a little pricier than De Sousa's other recommendations — $29 per pound — but they're worth the slight splurge for a special occasion.