Alaska seafood marketers get $5M from feds after losing state funds

A package of stiff food fillets sold astatine Whole Foods carries nan Marine Stewardship Council bluish label. (Courtesy MSC)

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has been awarded $5 cardinal successful national funding. The statement plans to usage portion of those costs to summation nan Alaska seafood industry’s engagement successful pet nutrient products.

ASMI announced connected Tuesday that it received complete $4 cardinal of that money from a caller Regional Agricultural Promotion Program done nan U.S. Department of Agriculture. This national programme is group up to grow exports and diversify American cultivation commodities and commercialized products.

The institute’s executive director, Jeremy Woodrow, said successful a property merchandise that nan money would spell to world trading efforts. But it will besides thief boost Alaskan seafood products successful nan U.S. market, Woodrow said, “where user request for seafood has fallen dramatically and is sorely successful request of trading support.”

The national money comes aft nan institute was precocious denied authorities backing for further trading programs by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. On June 28 he line-item vetoed $10 cardinal retired of nan authorities fund for ASMI, which is simply a business betwixt nan authorities of Alaska and nan Alaska seafood industry.

The governor’s office told nan Alaska Beacon that supplemental backing could beryllium fixed to ASMI during nan adjacent legislative convention if nan institute submits a much elaborate trading scheme for really nan costs would beryllium spent.

The news besides comes astatine a important clip arsenic nan Alaska seafood manufacture faces accrued pressures from the world market and decreasing dockside prices for fishermen statewide.

Separately, ASMI besides received 2 $500,000 Saltonstall-Kennedy grants to thief boost nan authorities seafood sector’s information successful nan pet nutrient marketplace among different things. For example, fish bones and food lipid are typically utilized successful various pet foods.

According to nan institute, U.S. pet nutrient manufacturers purchased $893 cardinal successful seafood products for usage successful feline and canine nutrient successful 2022. But full cultivation products purchased by nan assemblage were $6.9 billion, meaning only 13% progressive nan purchased seafood products.

Aside from processing and trading Alaska food pet nutrient products, ASMI besides plans to usage 1 of nan grants to comparison seafood products successful nan authorities to successful ones being utilized successful Iceland. This will let nan institute to find “which could beryllium applied to Alaska seafood processes and species, arsenic good arsenic nan reshoring of immoderate processing to nan U.S.”