Days are long, with sunset in many places just before midnight. Fishing activity is ramping up, fishing families are putting in long days from one end of the state to the other, and most Alaska processors are running multiple lines as harvests of Alaska Pollock, Alaska Halibut, Alaska Crab, and Alaska Salmon are delivered. I had the opportunity to visit fishing and processing operations in western Alaska last week, and want to send a big "thank you" to the industry members and community members who shared their expertise and warm welcome with our international team members in Bethel, Dillingham, and Platinum. The process of third-party certification of Alaska's commercial fisheries as complying with internationally recognized standards for sustainability is underway and visits to fisheries managers in Alaska continues this week. I invite you to track the progress of this process through the ASMI website.

I salute Nelly Masson, ASMI's Overseas Marketing Representative for Central Europe on her 20th year of service to the Alaska seafood industry. In addition to being our point person in Central Europe, Nelly is the driving force behind Alaska's participation in the largest seafood show on earth held each year in Brussels. We are very fortunate to have people like Nelly working for us in the global market place.

See you over the next swell,

Ray Riutta

Monitoring Progress of Global Trust Certification

Alaska's fisheries are recognized as a model of sustainable management throughout the world. As a service to those Alaska seafood companies whose customers prefer a third-party validation of sustainable management, ASMI has moved forward to obtain certification that will apply to the major commercial fisheries that constitute the Alaska Seafood product portfolio. ASMI has contracted with Global Trust to verify Alaska's fisheries management process. Global Trust will examine how Alaska's management process stacks up against internationally recognized standards for sustainable fisheries management. To learn more, and to monitor the progress of the certification, visit the Certification portion of the ASMI website's Sustainability section.

New ASMI Japan Website Goes Live

The new ASMI Japan website, in Japanese language, features as a theme element the colorful ASMI cartoon creations used successfully in the Japanese market to promote a wide array of Alaska Seafood products. The new site is up-to-date, easy to navigate, and packed with information on Alaska seafood species, statistics on Alaska seafood exports to Japan, recipes accompanied by appetizing photographs, and an online showcase of literature and sales aids including the educational piece about wild and sustainable Alaska Seafood done in the style of the popular "manga" (Japanese comic book). The site also includes links to the State of Alaska's Japan Office and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Click here to view a graphic of the new home page.

SOCKEYE SOCKEYE SOCKEYE SALMON

Right now sockeye is on many minds, from the Southeast Panhandle to the Shumagin Islands, from Copper River to Bristol Bay. In fact, Bristol Bay lays claim to the world's largest sockeye run. This year the commercial sockeye harvest in Bristol Bay was projected to reach 30 million fish, constituting the majority of the projected statewide sockeye harvest of 45 million. Each year, fillet production of sockeye has been increasing in Alaska. In fact, frozen sockeye fillet production quadrupled over the last several years: increasing from 4 million to 16 million pounds from 2004 to 2009. You can catch up on lots of cool data about the salmon fishery in the ASMI Seafood Market Bulletin.

Alaska Seafood in the Nation's Capital

Two separate events in Washington, D.C., during a single weekend, provided positive exposure for Alaska Seafood and put the spotlight on a number of the celebrity chefs with whom ASMI works on a regular basis. The Food & Wine Festival at National Harbor invited thousands of D.C.-area food lovers to "Think Global. Taste Local." Participating chefs put the spotlight on responsibly sourced and local ingredients. Chef Barton Seaver, on behalf of Alaska Seafood, took the stage for a demonstration of "Summer Panzanella with Smoked Alaska Salmon," and ASMI distributed recipes, literature, and tasting samples from its exhibit during the weekend event.

During the same weekend, ASMI took part in the Smithsonian Institute's Savoring Sustainable Seafood Program at the National Museum of Natural History. ASMI helped sponsor a reception and a day of educational panels on understanding sustainability. The reception included tasting stations arranged throughout the museum. One of the most popular was sponsored by ASMI: Chef Christine Keff (Flying Fish, Seattle, one of only two chefs invited from outside D.C.) and Chef Ris Lacoste served Alaska Ivory Salmon. Chef Keff participated in the panel discussions held to educate the press and the public about sustainable seafood, as did chefs Rick Moonen and Barton Seaver.

Seen on Newsstands this Week

The Oprah Magazine, July issue, recommends wild Alaska salmon as a sustainable seafood choice.

Cooking Light magazine, July issue, has a recipe for Arctic Char, but suggests "if you can't find Arctic Char choose another sustainable option like Alaska salmon."

Eating Well magazine, August issue, recommends wild Alaska Salmon. The recipes for Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes and Basil offers this shopping tip: "Wild caught salmon from the Pacific (Alaska and Washington) are more sustainably fished and have a larger, more stable population."

Whole Living magazine (Martha Stewart Omnimedia), August issue, recommends Alaska salmon or any fish from Alaska as a good choice, noting it is sustainably managed.

Cooking Light, Eating Well, and Sunset all had spring issues with positive references to Alaska seafood or focus on chefs cultivated by ASMI as spokespersons. ASMI's public relations program works with chef-spokespersons, food editors and food writers to increase awareness of Alaska Seafood.

Energy Use in Fisheries Conference

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is holding a conference in Seattle this November that may be of great interest to harvesters and processors of the Alaska Seafood Industry: Energy Use in Fisheries conference will be held at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel November 14-17. NOAA invites you to join them for a discussion about "energy use in commercial and recreational fisheries, aquaculture operations, and the processing and marketing of fish." If you are interested in improved efficiency and technological innovations, visit www.energyfish.nmfs.noaa.gov.