Maintaining the Viability of Seafood Processing and Harvesting Industries in Coastal Alaska: Role of Marine Extension

• Main Author: Fong, Quentin
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English; unknown
• Published: North American Association of Fisheries Economists
• Subjects: Fisheries > Economic aspects > Congresses; Sustainable fisheries > Congresses; Kodiak; Alaska
• Online Access: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/conference_proceedings_or_journals/4f16c417v

Alaska is the largest seafood producing state in the US. In 2013, Alaska landed 1.88 billion USD worth of seafood, with a volume of 2.63 million MT. This consists of 34% of the total value and 60% of the total volume landed in the US. Of the top 20 fishing port landing by value, 11 are from Alaska. Alaska’s seafood industry directly employs more workers than any other industry sector with more than 60,000. The success of the seafood industry is vital to our coastal communities. In response to employers and stakeholders concern of the graying or increasing age of the workforce, the Alaska Maritime Workforce Development Plan was developed by representatives of the fisheries, seafood, and marine industry sectors, state agencies and the university in Alaska. Aside from workforce development, stakeholders and policy makers also recognize the need for business and entrepreneurship development, including seafood to sustain the economic viability of our fisheries/seafood dependent coastal communities. This presentation illustrates how marine extension, specifically the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program and the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center assist Alaska’s seafood harvesting and processing sectors to maintain their viability in the global seafood marketplace. Training programs such as the Alaska Seafood Processor Institute, Seafood Processor Quality Control to address the graying of the workforce, research programs such as co-product development to increase the total value of the catch, and service programs such as one-on-one business and market development consultations will be presented and discussed. Keywords: Fishing Communities—Social and Economic Aspects, Role of Marine Extension in Fishing and Coastal Communities, Fisheries Economics