Alaska Department of Fish and Game Opens the Season on March 5, 2006

Seattle, Washington, February 21, 2006 –The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has just announced that they will open the season for Wild Alaska Black Cod and Halibut fisheries on March 5, 2006.  

As the availability approaches, chefs that know about the succulent, luxurious taste and velvety texture of Alaska Black Cod -- rich in heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids -- are already creating recipes in anticipation of this “caviar” of fish.  Likewise, chefs will be contemplating dishes for Halibut, the “steak of seafood,” with its mild, slightly sweet flavor and firm, flaky texture.  The simultaneous season opening of the Halibut and Black Cod fisheries make this an exciting time of year for menuing seafood options. 

Foodservice professionals also know that this seafood with superior taste and firm flesh is developed as a result of eating a natural marine diet and living a natural lifecycle in the cold pure waters of Alaska.

Alaska’s consistently wild and abundant stocks of Black Cod, Halibut and all Wild Alaska Seafood are due to effective and precise management.  Alaska is the only state in the nation whose constitution mandates that all fish shall be utilized, developed and maintained on a sustainable basis.  Strict quotas and fishing regulations ensure that Alaska will have an abundance of seafood for years to come.  Limits are precisely calculated to keep the world stocked with a continuous, ever-replenishing supply of seafood the way nature intended it.  Indeed, Alaska is considered a model of sustainability for the world.

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute is the State of Alaska’s official seafood marketing arm.  It is a public agency of the State of Alaska, funded by the Alaska seafood industry and federal grants.  ASMI promotes Alaska Seafood throughout the U.S. and in 16 other countries.  ASMI also provides education and training to the seafood industry in food safety and quality assurance practices.  Please go to www.alaskaseafood.org for more information.

Contact:
Debra Arbogast
Schiedermayer & Associates
619/702.7500

Click here to view ASMI's "Alaska Seafood Harvesting Chart"