04/21/1998 12:05 PM House FSH

                   JOINT MEETING                                               
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WORLD TRADE & STATE/FEDERAL RELATIONS               
              HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES                             
    HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE & TOURISM                   
                         April 21, 1998                                        
                           12:05 p.m.                                          
                                                                               
                                                                               
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                             
                                                                               
PRESENTATION:  UPDATE ON PROGRESS OF THE AK SEAFOOD CENTER IN                  
ANCHORAGE                                                                      
                                                                               
TAPE(S)                                                                        
                                                                               
98-2, SIDES A & B                                                              
                                                                               
CALL TO ORDER                                                                  
                                                                               
Representative Ramona Barnes, Chairman of the House Special                    
Committee on World Trade and State/Federal Relations, convened the             
joint meeting of the House Special Committee on World Trade and                
State/Federal Relations, House Special Committee on Fisheries and              
House Special Committee on International Trade and Tourism at 12:05            
p.m.                                                                           
                                                                               
PRESENT                                                                        
                                                                               
Committee members present at the call to order were Representatives            
Barnes, Cowdery, Phillips, Ryan and Nicholia.  Representatives                 
Austerman, Ogan, Ivan, Joule and Kott arrived as the meeting was in            
progress.  Other legislators present were Senators Ellis and Leman             
and Representative Rokeberg.                                                   
                                                                               
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                         
                                                                               
HOWARD BENEDICT, Alaska Seafood International (ASI), formerly known            
as the Alaska Seafood Center, gave a presentation of the center                
with visual aids.  He emphasized the "value-added" product it will             
be processing.  He explained its products, business philosophy,                
marketing approach, economic growth projections and Alaskan                    
commitment.                                                                    
                                                                               
KELD ANDERSON explained some of the logistics of the project and               
the importance of consistent product quality.                                  
                                                                               
ERIC TANG, Comptroller, Central Investment Holdings (CIH),                     
explained the company's position on the project as the first major             
project in North America.                                                      
                                                                               
COMMITTEE MEMBERS asked the presenters some questions about the                
project.  All questions were answered at that time.                            
                                                                               
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                               
                                                                               
Speaker Phillips presented CIH with a Certificate of Appreciation              
from the legislature.  The committees took no other action.                    
                                                                               
ADJOURNMENT                                                                    
                                                                               
Representative Barnes adjourned the joint meeting at 1:00 p.m.                 
                                                                               
NOTE:                                                                          
                                                                               
The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were taken.  A              
copy of the tape and log notes may be obtained by contacting the               
House Records Office at 130 Seward Street, Suite 211, Juneau,                  
Alaska  99801-1182, (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the               
second session of the Twentieth Alaska State Legislature, in the               
Legislative Reference Library.