FOR RELEASE: ASMI Delivers Strong Return On Investment
Contact:
Greg Smith, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
(907) 465-5562, [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Recent Analysis Shows Strong ASMI Return On Investment
JUNEAU, Alaska. November 20, 2025 – ASMI delivered a powerful return on investment, contributing heavily towards a $464 million increase in value for Alaska seafood in 2023, according to an independent analysis by seafood economist Andy Wink.
The report quantifies multiple measures of ASMI’s impact over the past five years, including market premiums for major seafood species, domestic and international retail and foodservice promotions, and global food aid sales.
Get the Data Sheet“Increasing the value of the Alaska seafood resource is ASMI’s mission. The value added by enhancing the Alaska Seafood brand supports fishermen and their families, processors, and Alaska communities,” said ASMI Executive Director Jeremy Woodrow. “Alaska Seafood is one of the most distinguished global seafood brands. That reputation isn’t an accident, it’s the result of decades dedicated by fishermen, processors, and everyone in the Alaska seafood industry to elevating the brand through improving quality and telling our story. Consumers are showing us it matters, and that they’re willing to pay more for Alaska seafood.”
Consumers are showing us it matters, and that they’re willing to pay more for Alaska seafood.
Alaska sockeye salmon, for example, commands an average 34% price premium over Atlantic salmon. In 2023, price premiums added an estimated $318 million in value to key Alaska species like sockeye salmon (Alaska’s single most valuable species) and Alaska pollock (Alaska’s largest species by harvest volume and second most valuable). “While many factors played into the price premiums for Alaska species, marketing by ASMI and Alaska processors are definitely a key driver,” said Wink.
ASMI’s value extends beyond price premiums.
- At retail or grocery stores, $68 in seafood sales is generated for every marketing dollar spent by ASMI.
- Foodservice or restaurant partners contribute $55 in co-op advertising funds for every $1 invested by ASMI.
- Public relations efforts earned over 12 billion media and social impressions in 2024.
- Over the past two decades, ASMI efforts supported over $1 billion in Alaska seafood purchases for federal food aid programs at a cost of less than $6 million.
- ASMI captured more than $40 million in competitive federal grants since 2020, nearly matching the $44 million generated by the industry assessment and State of Alaska funding during that timeframe.
While processors see the first gains, maintaining a strong first wholesale value underpins the health of the entire seafood sector. Robust wholesale pricing allows processors to invest in plants, logistics, and market access, all of which directly benefit fishermen through competitive ex-vessel prices and dependable markets for their catch. These dollars also ripple into local economies through jobs, tax revenue, and support sectors, even when processors are headquartered outside Alaska.
Taking a broader view, the Alaska brand premium protects the seafood industry from commodity pricing. Without it, wholesale and ex-vessel prices alike would be pulled down to match lower-cost global producers. By securing consumer preference and willingness to pay more for Alaska seafood, ASMI helps preserve the value of the resource itself — ensuring fishermen, processors, communities, and the state all share in the benefits of a differentiated, high-value market.
Access the full report
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About the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute: The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is a partnership between the State of Alaska and the Alaska seafood industry promoting the benefits of wild and sustainable Alaska seafood and offering seafood industry education.
