The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is the State of Alaska Agency responsible for marketing its seafood resources. Funding for the Institute comes through a partnership formed by fishing industry, state, and federal interests.
This Agency promotes Alaska seafood, provides industry education on quality assurance and food safety, and provides consumers with new and interesting ways to serve Alaska’s bounty. AMSI has launched an online program to better educate the public and industry about Alaska seafood.
Alaska Seafood U
Alaska Seafood U (University) is aimed at retail seafood vendors, foodservice representatives, culinary students, and consumers. Program goals are to explain Alaska’s commitment to sustainable fisheries practices, fish and shellfish species, harvesting methods, health benefits, and nutrition information.
In announcing the release of this program, ASMI Retail Marketing Director Larry Andrews says, “In developing Alaska Seafood U, we wanted to address the retailers’ need to keep up with consumers’ growing demand for information about wild Alaska seafood.”
The online course takes about forty minutes to complete with a typical high-speed internet connection. Each section of the training program ends with a five-question quiz. Sections are finished once a score of four out of five is achieved. The program is broken into three broad topics: About Alaska, Health and Nutrition, and Species and Catch Methods
All About Alaska
This section of Alaska Seafood U explains the unique feature of the State Constitution that mandates the principle of sustained yield to ensure fishery management practices preserve this natural resource for future generations. The program points out the amazing size of the State and the importance of its fisheries resources to Alaska residents and the nation.
Health and Nutrition
Along with its great taste, fresh and fresh-frozen Alaska seafood offers excellent health and nutrition benefits to consumers. There are finfish species like sablefish and salmon that provide important heart healthy long-chain Omega 3 fatty acids. Finfish and shellfish are a rich source of high-quality protein, trace minerals, and vitamins. State agencies monitor the quality of Alaska seafood, keeping an eye out for environmental contaminants.
Seafood Species and Catch Methods
Harvested species are described three groupings; salmon, whitefish, and shellfish:
- Seafood U describes the five species of Pacific salmon in detail and highlights important differences between the species. Examples are that King salmon is the fish richest in Omega 3 fatty acids and Sockeye is excellent choice for the grill.
- Salmon are harvested by three primary methods that include trolling, gillnetting, and purse seining. Each method is focused on a particular salmon species and described in detail.
- Alaska whitefish species include halibut, cod and pollock. Fishermen harvest these fish with long line gear, by trawling, jigging, and pots. The Alaska pollock harvest is the largest fishery by volume in the United States.
- Shellfish are probably the most popular export from Alaska. Seafood U describes many of the commercially taken shellfish species harvested in state. King crab, Snow crab, Spot shrimp, Weathervane scallops, and Dungeness crab are detailed among these favorites. The program highlights the different methods used to harvest these shellfish.
Once a student attending the Alaska Seafood U successfully completes the quizzes for each section of the course, a Diploma suitable for framing is generated for printing. Program graduates are provided with access to an online Alaska seafood resource library where they can continue with an advanced education in this delicious resource.
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