ASMI - Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute

HistoryHelping Hands from Washington, D.C.A new three-year campaign to promote Alaska salmon in the U.S.was begun in 2000; thanks to the guidance of U.S. Senator TedStevens, the U.S. Congress appropriated $5 million in funding forthis purpose under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act to help thesalmon industry in Alaska.Thanks to the efforts of the Alaska Congressional delegation, andSenator Ted Stevens in particular, funds to assist the Alaska seafoodindustry were allocated to the State of Alaska and to a newlycreated Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board. During the last few yearsASMI has received funds through both of these sources to aid itsmarketing efforts, successfully increasing the visibility of the AlaskaSeafood brand in the U.S. (See pages 20-21.)Newly Streamlined, Aligned with Industry,Moving AheadFollowing two years of work by a task force comprising membersof the seafood industry and the Alaska State Legislature, a newlaw was enacted to restructure ASMI, trimming the board toseven members (five processors, one of them a small processor,and two commercial harvesters). The law eliminated the 1%salmon marketing tax paid by salmon harvesters. It also requiredprocessors to vote on whether to retain ASMI and on whether ornot to increase their tax contribution for marketing. The processorsvoted in the fall of 2002 to continue the marketing program, and toraise their tax to the equivalent of .5% of the value of the catch.The board of directors is invested in the marketing mission withrenewed vigor, and works to ensure that ASMI promotionalactivities complement those of the seafood suppliers. The successachieved so far in building the Alaska Seafood brand is attributableto the guidance of many industry leaders over the past quartercentury: harvesters and processors named by the governor to theboard of directors, and many experts tapped by the board to serveon advisory committees. All have committed their intelligence andcreativity to this effort, and have helped to advance the AlaskaSeafood brand.23