Alaska Seafood Newsbrief Web Archive

Alaska is wrapping up another fine summer season of harvesting sustainable seafood, including the best salmon harvest in seventeen years, a testament to Alaska's management practices. Governor Sarah Palin, who participates in the state's commercial salmon fishery, offers a welcome on our website's homepage, inviting people to learn more about sustainable Alaska Seafood.

We've had lots of visitors to the land of the midnight sun over the last nine weeks, including many who made the long journey to Alaska to learn more about the seafood industry. Interest in our wild seafood products, bearing the Alaska brand, appears to be strong throughout the world. As we head into the fall we'll be working hard to elevate the value of the hard- won harvest.

See you over the next swell,

Ray Riutta

Some of Our Visitors From Overseas

An ASMI and Sento Gyorui trade tour to Seattle, Bristol Bay and Kenai: influential retail and wholesale seafood buyers were selected by Sento Gyorui Co., one of the top buyers of Alaska seafood in Japan. During the mission, the buyers went straight to the source of the popular wild Alaska salmon and salmon roe in the skein called "sujiko" that their customers enjoy. They followed the fish to market, visiting retail markets in Seattle where the Alaska salmon are sold to consumers.

An ASMI media tour of prominent French journalists visited summer fishing and processing operations. Nelly Masson, long-time marketing representative for Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) in the western European Union, led the French media group in visiting harbors, getting aboard fishing vessels, and touring processing plants in Ketchikan, Juneau and Sitka. Click here to see photos of the tour.

A chamber of commerce delegation from China, one of many fanning out across the nation in concert with trade talks in Washington, D.C.

A prominent English photographer was brought to Alaska by ASMI to capture images for use by ASMI and the Alaska seafood industry in promoting Alaska seafood. Look for the images to be available this fall!

Michelob and Alaska Seafood Pair Up for October and November Promotion

The third in a series of national themed promotions with Anheuser-Busch launches in October and features the Michelob brand. The promotion will run 10/1/2007 to 11/30/2007 and features a $10 mail-in rebate ($15 purchase of Alaska Seafood required; frozen Alaska Seafood products are eligible). Anheuser-Busch distributors are responsible for selling in the program at retail and display placement. For more information please contact Larry Andrews, ASMI's retail marketing director, at 206-352-8920 or 800-806-2497. Click here to see the promotion.

New Board Members

Welcome to our newly appointed board members! Jack Schultheis of Kwik' Pak Fisheries was appointed to the small processor seat. Tom McLaughlin, Chief Operating Officer of Seafood Producers Cooperative was appointed to a processor seat. Kevin Adams, a Bristol Bay gillnetter, was reappointed to a commercial fishing seat. They will join the other four board members in rolling up their sleeves at the ASMI board and committee meetings slated for October 22 to 24 in the Seattle area. The appointments were covered in a Governor's Press Release.

Hats Off
Hats off to the seafood industry members Don Giles, CEO of Icicle Seafoods, and Duncan Fields of Kodiak Salmon Packers for their dedicated service to the industry and the State of Alaska during their terms of office as board members. Their contributions to the success of the Alaska seafood industry are greatly appreciated.

Other Board News

Once a year ASMI has an "All Hands" meeting, bringing together the members of all of ASMI's industry committees for briefings on ASMI programs and committee meetings preceding the meeting of the board of directors. These are public meetings and members of the public, particularly those with an interest in the Alaska seafood industry, are encouraged to attend. This year the meeting will be October 22, 23 and 24 at the Doubletree Guest Suites Seattle Airport/Southcenter.

October 22, Program Briefings: this is a great opportunity to see first hand what ASMI is doing and hear directly from our marketing staff and our overseas marketing representatives;
October 23, Committee Meetings: meetings of the operational Foodservice and Retail Committees and International Committee will follow species and technical committee meetings including Salmon Committee, Halibut/Sablefish Committee, Shellfish Committee, Whitefish Committee and Seafood Technical Committee;
October 24, Board Meeting: decisions made by the board guide ASMI marketing activities.

Look here to find a complete roster of ASMI board members.

Want to Serve on an ASMI Committee?

Vacancies will be emerging on ASMI committees listed above. If you are interested in serving on an ASMI committee please contact Executive Director Ray Riutta, and copy Lynn Coffee, lcoffee@alaskaseafood.org. Currently two seats are open on the Halibut/Sablefish Committee, two on the Whitefish Committeee, and one on the Seafood Technical Committee.

Let an Expert Show You How

It's a little embarrassing to have worked with seafood your whole life, but to have to admit you still only know one way to cook it. Let an expert show you a variety of methods, all quick and easy, to prepare Alaska Seafood. Cooking Alaska Seafood is made simple by Chef John Ash, in a set of how-to videos posted on the ASMI website and also available on CD free of charge.

Alaska Seafood at Restaurants

Among the promotional partnerships ASMI's foodservice program director Claudia Hogue outlined at the July board meeting were AleHouse Restaurants, Carl's Jr., Hardee's Restaurants, Buffet's Inc, McCormick & Schmick's, Fresh City, Interstate Hotels, Rockfish Seafood Grill, Brigantine, The Palms, Copper Cellars Restaurants, RAM Restaurants, Gastronomy, Wild Salmon (New York City), Unviersity of Massachusetts Dining Services, 25 for $25 - Seattle Restaurants, and Stillwater Grill. These "operator promotions" are just one facet of ASMI's foodservice program, which also has large education components.

Training Chefs has High ROI

ASMI's Alaska Seafood seminars in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America have a high ROI (return on investment). When the prominent chefs ASMI invites are initiated into the world of Alaska Seafood, and when they decide to put it on the menu, it really has an impact, whether it's Holland America using Alaska Seafood aboard cruise ships, or a casual dining chain with hundreds of stores doing a seasonal promotion.

TV Ads, Year 2

Alaska Seafood will enjoy a promotional boost from advertisements on the Food Network and HG TV (Home and Garden). The three different spots, all starring Ben Stein, will air this fall and next spring. The addition of television ads allows the Alaska Seafood message to reach five times more people in ASMI's target consumer audience.

New Magazine Ad Emphasizes Abundance

new consumer magazine ad making its debut this fall in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and Saveur emphasizes key Alaska Seafood messages relating to the environment and sustainable management, resulting in abundant supplies of wild Alaska seafood. Look for the ads in October and November issues, or review it here. The ad will also appear in Food Arts, Chain Leader, Restaurants & Institutions and Foodservice Director, all foodservice publications, between September and May.

Alaska Seafood on TV

Many Americans become acquainted with Alaska Seafood through television, and the celebrity chefs have also become stars of the screen. ASMI is working with a chef well known to Food Network fans, Alton Brown, on publicity for Alaska's seafood species. Stay tuned! Americans become familiar with Alaska Seafood not only by watching chefs prepare it, but also through shows like "The Deadliest Catch," now in its third season on the Discovery Channel. The History Channel will air a "Tougher in Alaska" episode this spring that took their host Geo Beach and hardy camera crew to remote spots in western Alaska this summer, coincidentally filming Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game personnel at work on the very same day that ASMI was gathering high definition video footage in Bristol Bay. A camera crew from Nippon TV (Japan Television) visited Alaska this summer and with help from ASMI was able to line up prime footage of the seafood industry in action, and of chefs in Anchorage preparing the succulent harvest, as part of a special on Alaska to air in Japan for the Discover USA series.

The Honorable Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, and First Family Love Fishing
ASMI gathered high definition video footage of Governor Sarah Palin, First Gentleman Todd Palin, and youngest child the plucky Piper Palin, setnetting in the Bristol Bay region. While in the area, footage was captured for use by ASMI and the seafood industry of fisheries management techniques in action, Bristol Bay gillnetting, tender deliveries, and more. A separate project in partnership with the Smithsonian Institute captured high definition footage of Alaska's most prolific salmon producing region that included aerial views, landscapes, nature and seafood industry activity.

International Beat

ASMI's overseas marketing representatives execute promotions and trade education in China, Japan and the European Union. You can explore ASMI's overseas programs by clicking on the various flags in the lower right hand corner of the web page. Members of the Alaska seafood industry may also access ASMI's research library, including many reports on the international market.

Southern Europe: The next overseas trade show will be Conxemar in Vigo, Spain, from October 2 to October 4. According to ASMI's marketing coordinator for Europe, Kara Hollatz, Vigo, in northwest Spain, has become Europe's leading seafood port. Salted cod is a staple in southern Europe, and Alaska's Pacific cod and pollock are increasingly sought for their value as a salted whitefish product. Although Spain and Portugal import salted cod, they also salt it in the country, and imports of frozen cod by those two countries are in the vicinity of 85,000 metric tons per year.

Japan: July is the month for the Japan International Seafood and Technical Expo in Tokyo, which gets bigger every year. This was the first overseas assignment for Rod Paulk, ASMI's new marketing coordinator for Asia.

China: ASMI has been active in China for a decade. In addition to conducting promotions at hotels and retail grocery stores in China, ASMI does a great deal of chef education and trade education among importers and suppliers. As an example, you can learn more about a chef seminar in China at the English language version of our China website.

"The Highest Period of Sustained Commercial Salmon Harvests in History"

The 2007 commercial salmon harvest passed 200 million salmon, a robust harvest overall. Even before the 2007 commercial salmon harvest passed the 196 million mark, Geron Bruce, assistant director of commercial fisheries at ADF&G was quoted on Fish Radio as saying "the period we're in now, and it's continuing, is the highest period of sustained commercial salmon harvests in history." To look at ADF&G statistics, see the final "Blue Sheet." Also available is a season summary. Harvest figures are still trickling in, so look for this number to climb.

Great American Seafood Cook-Off

The Great American Seafood Cook-Off heated up in New Orleans, and the team of Alaska chefs named by Governor Palin to represent Alaska came in among the top six finalists. They still have a shot at "People's Choice" if their recipe garners enough votes.

For more about the chefs and the recipe that propelled them into the finals, visit the Great American Seafood Cook-Off website.

Contact Information

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email: industrynews@alaskaseafood.org

phone: 1-800-478-2903

web: http://www.alaskaseafood.org

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