An ancient dish, a long-lived clam with an offensive prosbiscus, and tons of good old-fashioned wild salmon could help the Alaska seafood industry expand its presence in two of the world's fastest-growing economies.
Seafood marketers in the 49th state have already won big by tapping into China and capitalizing on a growing preference for wild, natural fish. The world's second-largest economy vaulted past Japan last year to become the top importer of Alaska products, with seafood leading the way at nearly $1 billion in sales.
The state-supported Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute is also focusing on Brazil, a nation that loves Alaska seafood but directly imports very little of it. The country of nearly 200 million will soon become the world's fifth-largest economy and the marketing institute hopes to go along for the ride.
Brazilians have a hankering for steak and other beef dishes. But they have a growing appetite for fish, too, in part because of government policy encouraging people to eat healthy. Meanwhile, Brazil harvests very little seafood of its own, said Jose Madeira, the Brazilian face behind the institute's newly opened office in Sao Paolo.
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