The latest effort comes from the Aleutians East Borough. The project is a bit different from others that are also targeting high-end markets in the Lower 48.

In the borough's pilot project, the customer is defining the exact specifications they want before the fish is even caught. "Then we can deliver exactly what they want," said Marc Jones, director of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, which is coordinating the program with the borough. The foundation is well known for helping to launch many successful fishery enhancement programs throughout Alaska, most notably the shoreside pollock surimi industry.

The Aleutians East project includes four partners: the borough, the foundation, Trident Seafoods Corp. and Orca Bay Foods Inc.

The program will begin in September using 100,000 pounds of sockeye salmon from False Pass, which is Alaska's last red run for the season.

The fisheries development foundation is acting as the fish buyer for the sockeye salmon, and is paying 95 cents a pound to participating harvesters, all of whom must operate according to strict handling techniques.

The price is "not based so much on the market value, but as an idea of how much to start the process, to encourage the fishermen to become involved, and to just kind of throw a peg into the sand to see where we start from," Jones said.

Trident is reportedly getting $1.60 per finished pound, and is taking the roe in trade for part of the custom processing and other costs. As an added bonus, Orca Bay Seafoods will also buy coho salmon taken as bycatch along with the reds.

All of the fish will be marketed under the name Wild Aleutia Seas, derived from a combination of Aleutians and Peninsula. "We created a marketing committee of local fishermen from throughout the region to work on a name and other details. AFDF's role is to walk us through the direct marketing of our fish," said Karen Montoya, borough spokesperson.

In another unique twist, the group has snagged a glitzy East Coast marketing design firm to create a logo, Web site and brochure for just $5,000. "Right up front we told them that we have no money, but they fell in love with the project and thought it was a great cause, and decided to go for it," Montoya said.

Funding for the Aleutia Seas project came primarily from the fisheries development foundation and a $50,000 state grant to the borough.

Jones is convinced there is tremendous potential to use regional differentiation to expand the market for Alaska seafood, particularly in the United States.

"It's the biggest market in the world. Americans eat fish about once a week. But Americans are complex and sophisticated consumers, and they require product differentiation. We're going to have to do that to compete," he said.

Montoya agrees. "We have to start looking at the industry in a whole different way," she said. "That means building up niche markets, and working directly with customers to give them what they want."

In the end, it all comes down to people taking control of their region's destiny. In the case of Aleutians East, it includes the communities of Sand Point, King Cove, Nelson Lagoon, False Pass and Akutan.

"I can't say enough about the folks out in Aleutians East," Jones said. They stepped forward -- both the citizens and the borough government -- and said we have to do things a different way. And they put their money where their mouth is."

King crab watch

The catch quota of 9.27 million pounds of red king crab at Bristol Bay is about 30 percent higher than last year's 7.1 million pounds. The stage appears to be set for a strong market. Analyst Bill Atkinson reports that inventories of king crab in Japan are "totally depleted." The Japanese were very aggressive in purchases of king crab last year, and there was strong demand for larger-sized crab.

Atkinson said Japanese buyers purchased much of last year's crab at prices that resulted in a wholesale cost of more than $11.56 per pound. Landings of live king crab in Japan have been affected by the rigid documentation procedures enacted last spring, and many of the Russian vessels are delivering their crab to Korea, rather than hassle with entry documentation in Japan. This is adding to the overall tight supply picture in Japan, Atkinson said. Alaska crabbers last year received $4.80 per pound for Bay red kings.

Plankton plummets

Satellite images are showing a troubling decline in flora-plankton levels in the North Pacific, according to a report from a joint research project by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Study of ocean conditions has been ongoing since 1978 by the agencies.

Based on information received this summer, flora-plankton levels in the North Pacific were about 30 percent lower than 20 years ago. Levels in the North Atlantic were also down by about 14 percent.

The reduced plankton levels are reportedly due to an increase in surface temperatures, resulting in a reduced circulation of nutrition-rich cooler waters from the depths.

Plankton is an essential part of the food chain for marine life, and it is also important in the absorption of carbon dioxide in the photosynthesis process.

The scientists believe that the effect of lower plankton levels on the world environment could be considerable. Conversely, plankton levels in the northern Indian Ocean and the equatorial region of the Atlantic have increased by about 50 percent over the past 20 years.

It is not known whether the shift in the abundance of plankton in the various regions represents a short- or long-term change.

Kodiak-based free-lance writer Laine Welch can be reached via e-mail at msfish@ptialaska.net