Founded in 1985 as a family-ran salmon farm in Blacks Harbour, Cooke stands as the largest privately held seafood company globally.

The company has a history with the city, which is where Glenn Cooke, the co-founder and CEO, lives and serves as one of the board of directors for the Saint John Port Authority.

[12][13] On December 19, 2017, Cooke fully acquired American fish operations company Omega Protein for a total of CA$650 million,[14] or US$22/share.

[16] In November 2022, Cooke made its largest acquisition, purchasing Australian salmon aquaculture company Tassal for $1.5 billion.

[23] In April 2024,[24] a 2021 False Claims Act lawsuit was unsealed in New York, accusing Cooke of illegally creating a U.S. shell company to cover up its Canadian ownership.