Seafood Exports from Alaska on the Rise

Alaska’s annual exports hit their highest market yet in 2010, including seafood valued at $1.8 billion, up 12.2 percent from a year earlier, and buoyed in part by the best salmon harvest in 18 years.

The record performance was announced May 12 from Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell.

The governor said Japan and China accounted for more than $1 billion in seafood exports. Japan has long been Alaska’s largest seafood export market and once again in 2010 was the largest market, with purchases of $523.4 million, followed by China at $516.9 million. China’s purchases alone were up 23.1 percent over the previous year.

Korea accounted for $255.3 million of Alaska’s seafood exports. Germany’s purchases were valued at $128.9 million, the Netherlands, $110.4 million, and Canada, $90.4 million. Asian markets in total accounted for 73.1 percent of Alaska’s seafood exports in 2010. Exports to the European Union markets totaled 19.9 percent.

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has representatives in Japan, China and the European Union – all markets that have generated significant increases in the state’s seafood exports over the past decade.