Diving Into Flavour: B.C.’s Inaugural Divers’ Catch Gala Celebrates Sustainable Seafood—Here’s What’s On The Menu

This September, the ocean comes to the table in the most spectacular way. The BC Dive Fisheries Society is hosting its first-ever Divers’ Catch Gala on September 20, 2025, at The Deck at Radisson Blu in Richmond—a culinary event designed to spotlight British Columbia’s exceptional dive-harvested delicacies: geoduck, sea urchin and sea cucumber.

What sets these species apart isn’t just their taste, but how they’re sourced—hand-picked by local divers without bycatch or heavy machinery. It’s sustainable, conscious harvesting at its finest, and the gala will bring together top chefs, seafood lovers, distributors and harvesters for an unforgettable celebration of the province’s ocean bounty.

Headlining the event are some of B.C.’s most talented chefs, including Ned Bell, Will Lew, Bobby Milheron, Dez Lo, Welbert Choi, and Bo Li, each preparing original dishes that honour these unique ingredients. And while the food will be spectacular, the message is just as meaningful: dive fisheries are a vital, sustainable industry supporting B.C.’s coastal communities, and it’s time to champion them not just globally—but at home.

“B.C.’s dive-harvested seafood is truly world-class,” says Chef Ned Bell. “This gala is a great opportunity to introduce more people to the amazing flavours of geoduck, sea urchin and sea cucumber. I’m proud to help show how these sustainable delicacies can shine on the plate.”

Adding an exclusive preview of what’s to come, Top Chef Canada alum Dez Lo is sharing one of the dishes she’ll be serving at the gala: a Vietnamese-inspired B.C. Sea Cucumber Taco that fuses Eastern tradition with West Coast ingredients and flavour.

Below, we’ve got the full recipe—because sustainability has never tasted so good.

B.C. Sea Cucumber Tacos

Yield: About 12 tacos

Ingredients:

• 200 g fresh B.C. sea cucumbers, cleaned and muscles removed
• 3 slices ginger
• 2 tbsp Anh and Chi Me’s Sweet Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 5 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
• 100 g celtuce, unpeeled
• 30 g celery
• 65 g red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 green onion (white part for taco mix, green part for garnish)
• 1 small red chili pepper
• 3 g baby dill
• 5 g mint leaves
• 3 tbsp Anh and Chi Me’s Nước Mắm (chili fish sauce)
• 1 pack yellow wonton wrappers
• Oil for frying
• Pinch salt

Garnish:

• Red cabbage salad
• Green onion ribbons
• Lime wedges
• Red chili pepper slices
• Holy Duck Chili Oil

Method:

1. Lay sea cucumbers flat side down, trim both ends, and slice lengthwise. Rinse and clean thoroughly.
2. Bring a medium pot of water with ginger slices to a boil. Cook mushrooms for 3 minutes, then remove. Add sea cucumbers, reduce to medium heat, and simmer for 45–60 minutes until tender but bouncy.
3. Fry wonton wrappers in 350°F oil until golden. Drain, salt lightly, and set aside.
4. Once cooled, slice sea cucumbers thinly and marinate with sliced mushrooms, sweet soy sauce, and sesame oil for 30 minutes.
5. Thinly slice vegetables and herbs; julienne green onion tops and chill in water to curl.
6. Combine marinated sea cucumber and vegetables with Nước Mắm for seasoning.
7. Spoon mixture into taco shells and garnish with cabbage salad, green onion, red chili, and a drizzle of Holy Duck Chili Oil. Serve with lime wedges.

Early bird tickets are available now at diverscatchbc.ca, including gala admission and access to the pre-gala Industry Mixer. The event is a delicious dive into the future of B.C. seafood—and an unmissable night for anyone who believes great food should also tell a story. —Vita Daily