 Alaska Seafood Newsbrief ASMI E-Newsletter for the Alaska Seafood Industry
October 19 , 2009
In this issue:
Message from the Executive Director Greetings- Alaskans are observing Alaska Day, the 142nd anniversary of the formal transfer of the Territory of Alaska from Russia to the United States. We continue to educate our customers around the world about the sustainable fisheries management practices that have made Alaska a model for the world, and that crystallized when Alaska became a state fifty years ago. We include some tips here about some of our crab promotions. It's mid-October, when Alaska king crab fishing and promotions of Alaska king crab are entering prime time, and it's a busy time for snow crab orders as well. We wish safe and productive fishing to all Alaska's crab harvesters on the challenging fishing grounds. If you are interested in becoming more involved with ASMI, there are vacancies (current and imminent) on all of our industry committees, and we encourage you to put your name forward. Our next meeting of all of our committees and our board will be the "all hands" meeting December 1,2, and 3 in Seattle. Most Alaska Seafood goes to market in frozen form, and to strengthen support for your sales of frozen seafood, we have energized Cook It Frozen! See you over the next swell, Ray Riutta
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| Q: What's worth $5.8 Billion to Alaska?
A: The seafood industry is worth $5.8 Billion to Alaska in terms of direct and induced economic output. A healthy seafood industry in Alaska benefits public and private sectors. This is news to many Alaskans, including people in the Alaska seafood industry. Part of ASMI's job is to educate people about the important economic role of the seafood industry, and encourage them to support us. |
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There are vacancies on ASMI committees. If you are interested in serving on an ASMI committee please send a letter of interest and a resume to the ASMI Executive Director Ray Riutta and to his assistant Lynn Coffee at these addresses: rriutta@alaskaseafood.org and lcoffee@alaskaseafood.org. Operational Committees:
Species Committees:
U.S. Crab Promotion Highlights Foodservice: ASMI partners with prominent foodservice operators to promote crab. Brigantine, Oceanaire, Gastronomy, and McCormick & Schmick's have partnered with ASMI in promoting Alaska King Crab. Joe's Crab Shack has partnered with ASMI in promoting Alaska Snow Crab. Fish City Grill and RAM International have partnered with ASMI in promoting both Alaska King Crab and Alaska Snow Crab. Retail: Retail grocers that are currently or have recently promoted Alaska Crab include Lunds Byerly's, Fred Meyer, Balls Henhouse, Harris Teeter, Clarks Market stores, and Lowes Foods. Retailers have been using the large, colorful Alaska Crab to dramatic effect in their seafood cases.
Overseas Crab Promotion Highlights European Union: ASMI is promoting Alaska King Crab in France with Brakes, a major foodservice distributor, and the flashy legs will be featured on their November/December Holiday Catalogue. This is expected to result in sales measured in metric tons. Monaco- Alaska King Crab, together with Alaska Black Cod and Alaska King Salmon were promoted in Monaco in late summer at a cooking demonstration and tasting at Hotel Vista Palace. Three fine chefs were involved: Chef Patrick Raingeard from Port Palace in Monaco, Chef Stéphane Rimbault from Relais & Chateaux Restaurant L'oasis in Cannes Madelieu, and Japanese Chef Keisuke Matsushima, who hangs his toque blanche in France -- and whose first and current restaurant ventures have each been awarded a Michelin star. Brussels- An "Urban BBQ" in Brussels, Belgium, was organized by Olivier Frey so that people could enjoy a gourmet meal beyond the reach of most wallets: fine ingredients prepared by leading chefs. ASMI provided Alaska King Crab and Alaska Sockeye Salmon. As a direct result of the persuasiveness of Alaska legislators who attended the 2009 European Seafood Exposition, the opportunity was created for a leading executive from a prominent catering company to change his mind about Alaska salmon. The executive had told Alaska legislators he hadn't put Alaska salmon on the menu within the last ten years. When he and his team experienced fresh Alaska sockeye, which legislators had urged them to try, and which ASMI provided, they changed their minds. The prominent European chefs who prepared the Alaska Seafood were Chef Gaetan Colin (Jaola), Chef Mauro Collagreco (named Chef of the Year by restaurant guide Gault et Millau) and Chef Yves Mattagne. Mattagne opened a restaurant in Japan, and is working on a Belgium program to improve the quality and healthfulness of food served in hospitals. China: A variety of Alaska seafood products including Alaska King Crab and Alaska Snow Crab will be featured:
An ASMI trade mission to China will enable members of the Alaska seafood industry to meet with members of the seafood trade in China, as well as participating in ASMI events. The schedule includes meetings with local seafood traders (a team effort with WUSATA) and an ASMI media tasting event in Shanghai; Qingdao activities include a sustainable seafood forum, the China Fisheries and Seafood Expo, meetings with local seafood traders, and a trade dinner reception. Companies anticipated to have involvement in some of the events include Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Icicle Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, SOGDA, Bering Select Seafoods, and American Seafoods. Also participating with ASMI at the China Fisheries and Seafood Expo are Pacific Seafoods and Snopac. ASMI's new marketing specialist for Asia, Alexa Tonkovich, together with international program director Joe Jacobson and overseas marketing representative Robin Wang will be on deck for this intensive series of events, and will accompany some industry members to Hong Kong to meet with seafood traders there and participate, together with representatives of the Washington Agricultural Department in a cooking school event. ASMI overseas marketing activities are funded in great part by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service's Market Access Program.
ASMI distributed information about Alaska seafood, met with seafood traders, and displayed Alaska products at its exhibit at the trade show in Spain called Conxemar. Although traffic at this year's show was slower, the show provided good exposure for Alaska Seafood and an opportunity to meet with many European buyers. These snapshots show the ASMI exhibit space, and ASMI overseas marketing representative David McClellan (left) with European seafood trader Alfredo Buey.
The relaunched website for Cook It Frozen! offers more information than ever before on how to prepare Alaska seafood directly from the frozen state, including videos showing how easily it is done. Whether you're poaching, grilling, steaming, roasting, broiling, or pan- grilling, you'll find simple preparation tips and recipes on the new site. ASMI is supporting the re-launch with a retail trade campaign, including internet ads and print ads accompanied by a "sell sheet tip-in".
ASMI was proud to be among underwriters of the Washington, D.C., premiere of the film "For the Rights of All: Ending Jim Crow in Alaska," about the civil rights activism of Alaska Natives and honoring Elizabeth Peratrovich for her contributions to the battle for equal rights for Alaska Native peoples.
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phone: 1-800-478-2903
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