Board
members of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute this past week approved a $21.3
million budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, and plan to spend several
million of that money on increased consumer advertising. Last year’s budget was
$19.8 million.
Ray
Riutta, executive director of ASMI, said the board wanted to add the consumer advertising
component that ASMI hasn’t had in several years.
ASMI
has also been busy talking with buyers about a decision of 27 Alaska salmon processing
companies to withdraw support from the Marine Stewardship Council program for certification
of sustainable fisheries. Instead they are choosing certification through Global
Trust, an Irish firm with which ASMI has contracted.
Riutta
said ASMI has been meeting with European buyers on a one on one basis to explain
that the responsible fisheries management program with Global Trust is a very robust
certification program.
Riutta
said the decision of the Purse Seine Vessel Owners Association to take over as the
client for MSC certification of Alaska salmon has “created a significant amount
of confusion in the marketplace about how much product will be available in calendar
year 2013,” when the current MSC certification of Alaska salmon fisheries will no
longer be valid.
Meanwhile
the 27 Alaska processors this week reaffirmed their intent to withdraw support from
MSC salmon certification.
“While
we recognize that PSVOA has the right to become the client for MSC salmon, it should
not be construed that we have changed our minds about this decision,” they said,
adding their full support of FAO-based Responsible Fisheries Management certification
that was developed for the industry by ASMI and the state of Alaska.
“This
fully accredited program responds to requests from many customers to provide a reasonable
alternative to MSC,” they said.
Those
signing the letter included 10th and M Seafoods, Alaska General Seafoods, Alaska
Glacier Seafoods, Boreal Fisheries Inc., Favco Inc., Great Pacific Seafood, Great
Ruby Fish Co., Icicle Seafoods, Kwik'Pak Seafoods. Kwik’Pak Fisheries, Ocean Beauty
Seafoods, Peter Pan Seafoods, the Seafood Producers Coop, Trident Seafoods, Ugashik
Wild Salmon, and more.
In
other action, ASMI has begun seeking a new executive director, as Riutta plans to
resign at the end of 2012, after a decade at his post.
The
job description posted on the ASMI website, www.seafood.org/vacancy-for-executive-director-position