2nd International Congress on Seafood Technology (ICST 2010), jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the University of Alaska, will be in Anchorage May 10 - 13 at the Egan Convention Center. The Congress will bring together scientists, technologists, processors, importers/exporters of fishery products, business developers, government administrators responsible for policy development, non-governmental organizations and other interested parties. Dr. Murat Balaban, of the University of Alaska's Fisheries Industrial Technology Center in Kodiak, has played an instrumental role in arranging the conference, and it is a prime opportunity for Alaska. Expertise in seafood processing technology is vitally important if the U.S. is to realize the economic potential of its seafood resources, and that is especially true of Alaska, which produces half the nation's commercial landings. Click here for a flyer about the conference, including contact information for Dr. Balaban. There are also opportunities to support the conference, as many Alaska seafood industry members are doing. ASMI is a supporter of the conference.

Alaska Art in ASMI Exhibits, Publications Creates a Stir

Many people have asked about the Alaska art ASMI is using to decorate ASMI exhibits at trade shows. The popular Alaska artist Rie Muñoz granted ASMI the privilege of using for promotional purposes some of her popular works depicting the men and women of the Alaska seafood industry at work in their communities. Muñoz captures the essence of life in Alaska in her colorful, cheerful paintings. The works of art brighten up the new ASMI publication "Sustainability in Plain English" The Muñoz artworks formed the primary theme of the new ASMI exhibit at the International Boston Seafood Show last month. Banners with the Muñoz designs are used to decorate ASMI exhibits at trade shows including last Friday's "Culinary Showcase" at the recent International Association of Culinary Professionals conference in Portland, and ComFish in Kodiak two weeks ago.

PR Results in U.S. Magazines Give Boost to Alaska Seafood

As part of its public relations activities, ASMI works with writers and editors to educate them about sustainable, wild and natural Alaska Seafood, with the goal of securing positive exposure for Alaska seafood. This includes everything from sending special press releases and "pitches" for stories, to bringing editors and writers to Alaska to experience seafood harvesting, seafood processing and fisheries management at close range. We don't generally report the results of these activities in Newsbrief, but they go on year-round. Some examples of the rewards of this sustained effort in the U.S. market are reflected in the pages of recent issues popular food magazines.

Eating Well (circulation 359,142) in its April issue published an article called "Sea Change" that featured Chef Barton Seaver and Chef John Ash (both members of ASMI's special Wild Alaska Seafood Congress of Conscious Chefs) and stated that Alaska "the state with the highest seafood landings, has perhaps the best managed fisheries in the world."

The June issue of Eating Well includes a feature article discussing the nutritional benefits of consuming omega-3s found in seafood, and offering as a good choice "wild Alaska salmon." The article, "Captain of the Happier Meal," contains a lengthy interview with Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, of the National Institutes of Health, whose efforts to alert Americans to the benefits of consuming seafood for mental health have taken him across the country. Dr. Hibbeln was most recently greeted by ASMI staff taking part in and exhibiting at the 2010 Integrative Mental Health Conference in March.

Cooking Light (circulation 1,773,429) in its April issue offered readers an interview with Chef Barton Seaver ("Young Man and the Sea"), an article entitled "Rethinking Protein" citing an example of "a nice cut of sustainably fished Alaskan salmon from the fishmonger (a good source of health-promoting omega-3 fatty acids)." The issue included a recipe for Saffron Fish Stew with the recommendation, "Be sure to choose a sustainable fish, like wild-caught Pacific flounder or wild-caught Alaskan halibut."

COOK IT FROZEN! techniques were spotlighted in "From Fab to Frozen" in the April issue of Women's Health. The article directs readers to Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute's special CookItFrozen.com website with the words " . . . check out CookItFrozen.com. This how- to site from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute gives techniques turning any ice- bound fish into a seafood feast."

CookItFrozen! Website, New One-Minute Videos, IPhone App

If you haven't visited it lately, take the time to visit ASMI's CookItFrozen! website, which offers
1-minute videos demonstrating preparation techniques: broiling, grilling, poaching, roasting, sautéing/pan- searing, and steaming. And you will also find links there and on ASMI's homepage to the new free CookItFrozen! IPhone app.