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The trip was organized by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and funded by a federal grant. The trip actually began in Seattle, a main hub of Alaska's commercial fishing industry. Autumn Curry, ASMI's Asian Marketing Specialist, said that's where they began making business contacts. "We had sales meetings all day and everyone got a chance to do one-on-one negotiations. Then we moved on to Petersburg and that's where they really saw the ground level where it all starts." While in Petersburg the group toured three plants and got a glimpse of halibut, salmon, shrimp and dungeness crab being processed. Then they moved on to Kodiak for more plant tours and a visit to Kodiak's two fisheries research facilities. Yiliang Sun, a seafood buyer for a large Chinese company, said she's hoping to stay in touch with her new Alaska contacts and do more business with them. As for which species she's targeting, "First is Pacific cod, then yellowfin sole, salmon, also goeyducks and sea urchins," said Sun. Live urchins and goeyducks are of particular interest, but, she said, "of course price is a big factor." Asian consumers are leaning toward crab, according to Eddie Chu, a buyer from Hong Kong who said dungeness crab has already been introduced to Chinese and Hong Kong markets. "The next items to be promoted in China and Hong Kong would be king crabs since they are new and will be in demand there ultimately." After leaving Kodiak, the 11 seafood buyers traveled to Anchorage before heading home. During their weeklong visit they were treated to many receptions, all of which featured a variety of Alaska seafood. A call for processing workers Demand is high now for seafood plant workers, according to Laurie Fuglevog of the Alaska Department of Labor's Seafood Employment Division in Juneau. She said the department's Anchorage office is actually the main hub, and seafood work orientations are given twice a day there at this time of year. In recent weeks about 300 people have been sent to Bristol Bay and job orders are out for some 450 workers statewide. And despite about 9 plant closures this year, worker demand is steady, Fuglevog said. Cook Inlet Processing, a large Kodiak plant, closed this spring after being bought out by Ocean Beauty Seafoods. Maureen Butler of the Kodiak Job Center said that left a big hole along with other plant closures. "That affected nearly 200 workers in Kodiak and, remotely, Cook Inlet Processing in Uganik Bay did not open this year and Kodiak Salmon Processors in Larsen Bay is not processing this year." Last year Butler made contact with Bristol Bay plants through the Labor Department's Traveling Seafood Workforce Program and said that allowed her to help the displaced workers. "For herring season we sent out over 90 workers from Kodiak to Naknek, and now for salmon they're wanting some experienced workers." Butler was raised in a Kodiak fishing family and says she's not surprised that despite talk of "gloom and doom" in the state's commercial fishing industry jobs are readily available. "This is a seasonal type of employment so it's up and down, and the prices are not good," she said. "We're getting more and more boats and setnet sites that are looking for crew members and deck hands and it's harder and harder to fill those positions. Some people would rather do seafood processing now than fishing." The Internet is a great way for job seekers to learn about openings statewide. The Labor Department has a comprehensive list of available seafood processing jobs, and applications can be printed off the site as well. Their web address is www.jobs.state.ak.us. Close-up on the Chignik co-op It happened first in the Bering Sea Pollock fishery -- the use of fishing co-ops where boats pool their catches and profits with the aim of cutting costs, ending the race for fish, and raising the bar on product quality. Now salmon fishermen in Chignik, located on the Alaska Peninsula, are trying out the idea. This system is unique for the state's salmon industry and is being closely watched by harvesters and managers alike. This year 70 percent of the allowable commercial sockeye harvest will go to the co-op's 77 seine boats, yet only 17 boats will actually fish. With roughly 100 permit holders, that leaves 22 boats from the competitive fleet vying for the other 30 percent of the catch. Each sector fishes during different periods. Rod Campbell is a Kodiak-based finfish management supervisor for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game who is on his fourth season managing the Chignik salmon fishery. He took part in the process which led up to the January Fish Board decision allowing the co-op to take place. Campbell said supporters are hoping that with a guaranteed catch quota co-op members can take their time and take better care of their fish, resulting in a higher price. But down time is a worry for the competitive fleet, which might go out and catch a lot of fish, but then sit on the beach for long periods of time waiting for another opening. "This is a major concern for everybody as the year goes on, to be able to keep crews for the whole season, to able to have enough fishing time," Campbell said. He feels that in light of tough times for Alaska's salmon industry the Fish Board was reaching for something new. Campbell is as anxious as everyone else to see how things will pan out. He said this October the Fish Board will assess things. "They will see both sides, not only the competitive and the cooperative fleets, but also hear from the processors how it worked and from the department's perspective about how this season went." Over the winter the Fish Board could look at making whatever changes are possible under their jurisdiction. But next summer at least 51 permit holders must agree to join the Chignik co-op or the new system won't be repeated. Alaska Salmon gets its day The last day of June this year was set aside as Alaska Salmon Day. The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute approached the Legislature about the idea and Gov. Tony Knowles proclaimed June 30 as Alaska Salmon Day during the 2002 session. ASMI's Laura Fleming said the special day is designed to boost summer retail sales in the Lower 48. "When stores are doing a promotion they want to get as many things going on in the store as possible, and you also want to offer a hook to food writers who might be writing about Alaska salmon in the newspaper," she said. Another good reason for the celebration said Fleming is to boost sagging spirits. "With all the hard times in the industry a lot of families and communities are really feeling the pinch. It's nice to have something associated with salmon that's a positive enjoyable thing." Marcia Lynn of KMXT Radio in Kodiak is filling in for Laine Welch, who is on vacation. She can be reached at fishmarcia@yahoo.com.
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