Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120
03/03/2022 10:00 AM House FISHERIES
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Seafood Market Update - Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES
March 3, 2022
10:09 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Geran Tarr, Chair
Representative Louise Stutes, Vice Chair
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
Representative Andi Story
Representative Kevin McCabe
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Dan Ortiz
Representative Sarah Vance
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: SEAFOOD MARKET UPDATE - ALASKA SEAFOOD MARKETING
INSTITUTE
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
JEREMY WOODROW, Executive Director
Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Gave a PowerPoint presentation, titled
"Raising the Value: Alaska Seafood Marketing Update."
ACTION NARRATIVE
10:09:56 AM
CHAIR GERAN TARR called the House Special Committee on Fisheries
meeting to order at 10:09 a.m. Representatives Tarr, Story, and
Kreiss-Tomkins (via teleconference) were present at the call to
order. Representatives McCabe and Stutes arrived as the meeting
was in progress.
^PRESENTATION: Seafood Market Update - Alaska Seafood Marketing
Institute
PRESENTATION: Seafood Market Update - Alaska Seafood Marketing
Institute
10:10:32 AM
CHAIR TARR announced that the only order of business would be a
presentation on the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).
10:11:04 AM
JEREMY WOODROW, Executive Director, Alaska Seafood Marketing
Institute, gave a PowerPoint presentation, titled "Raising the
Value: Alaska Seafood Marketing Update" [hard copy included in
the committee packet]. He stated that ASMI was a public-private
partnership directed by a governor-appointed board of directors
composed of five processors and two commercial harvesters. He
stated that ASMI's goal is to maximize the economic value of the
Alaska seafood resource by building the brand, developing
markets, and working with the industry. He continued that ASMI
is funded through two primary sources: the Seafood Marketing
Assessment - a statutory designated program receipt - and
various federal funds. He noted that federal funding was
limited and therefore competitive with other coastal states and
commodity groups. The fiscal year 2022 (FY 22) spending plan
totals $19 million, which is divided into 5 programs:
International Marketing, Seafood Technical, Global Food Aid,
Domestic Marketing, and Communications. The International
Marketing Program oversaw 9 program areas in 42 different
countries. He stated that ASMI operates with a 20-member staff
in Alaska and in-market expert contractors in each region. He
remarked that the U.S. is the single largest market. He
discussed the Economic Value of Alaska's Seafood Industry Report
by the McKinley Research Group, which found that Alaska's
seafood industry employed over 62,000 workers and created $15
billion in economic output nationwide, contributing $5.7 billion
to the Alaska economy in 2019. In 2019 alone, Alaska fishermen
harvested 5.66 billion pounds of seafood at a harvest value of
$2 billion, half of which was produced at a wholesale value of
$4.67 billion. He characterized 2020 as "rough" across the
board, with export value dropping from $3.1 billion in 2019 to
$2.6 billion in 2020. He stated that 2021 showed partial
recovery; however, key challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic
lingered, such as supply chain logistics and rate increases. He
suggested that the forecast for 2022 was optimistic.
10:41:18 AM
MR. WOODROW continued the presentation by addressing the global
consumer response to the pandemic. Ex-vessel harvest declined
by 27 percent in 2020 because of COVID-19; however, with
restaurants closing, retail and direct to consumer sales
increased. Other pandemic trends included health,
sustainability, convenience, and home cooking. In response to
these trends, ASMI created a global strategy to connect with
home cooks by increasing its e-commerce presence, capitalizing
on health and wellness and emerging trends, and maintaining
transparency. In addition to retail and digital partnerships,
ASMI worked with trusted social influencers to increase its
online presence. He cited the new trends as comfort, global,
holidays, and more. He highlighted some of the challenges that
Alaska seafood faces, including global market diversification,
global competition, and existing COVID-19 difficulties.
11:07:33 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Fisheries meeting was adjourned at 11:07
a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Seafood Market Updated - ASMI 3.3.22.pdf |
HFSH 3/3/2022 10:00:00 AM |
Seafood Market Update |