JUNEAU, Alaska – The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is pleased to announce it has secured over $4.5 million in federal Market Access Program (MAP) funding to increase its international marketing efforts. MAP funds are provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to share the costs of overseas marketing and promotional activities that help build commercial export markets for U.S. agricultural products and commodities, and they require a monetary match from the participating organization.
These funds, like most other federal grants received by ASMI, must be used for international purposes, and are extremely welcome as the Alaska seafood industry emerges from the current global market collapse that has put incredible financial pressure on Alaska communities, fishermen, fishing families, processors, and seafood businesses.
“The timing of the new federal funds is well-aligned with the Alaska seafood industry’s needs to combat numerous global economic pressures. While these funds will help ASMI grow our international efforts, they will also allow ASMI to direct the Alaska seafood industry contribution as well as state funds toward the U.S. market, where significant opportunity exists due to the Russian seafood ban. We look forward to this opportunity to help grow the Alaska Seafood brand and increase demand around the world,” said ASMI International Marketing Director Nicole Alba. “The ASMI International team has done a tremendous job to secure additional federal funds at a time of incredible need for the Alaska seafood industry.”
When combined with other federal funds received for marketing Alaska seafood internationally, these additional federal funds bring the total received by ASMI in the current fiscal year to over $17.5 million. In the past 5 years, ASMI has been awarded over $40 million in federal funds to market Alaska seafood internationally.
About the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is a partnership between the State of Alaska and the Alaska seafood industry promoting the benefits of wild and sustainable Alaska seafood and offering seafood industry education. The seafood industry is Alaska’s largest basic private sector employer with nearly 60% of all wild seafood and 90-95% of wild salmon harvested in the U.S. coming from Alaska. In addition to wild salmon, Alaska is known for its crab and whitefish varieties such as Pacific cod, sablefish, halibut, Alaska pollock, sole and rockfish – available fresh or frozen year-round. Alaska has been dedicated to sustainable seafood for more than 50 years and is the only state with a constitution that mandates all seafood be managed under the sustained yield principle. Alaska has taken a leadership role in setting the global standard for precautionary resource management to protect fisheries and surrounding habitats for future generations and leading to an ever-replenishing supply of wild seafood for markets worldwide.
