Increased demand for wild Alaska salmon: a public-private partnership: wild salmon is preferred over farmed salmon, and the state is marketing its benefits.

• Author: Stewart, Regan

The State of Alaska is succeeding in building national awareness for its wild salmon. Through a matching-grant program, the Alaska salmon-marketing program is a crucial piece of the salmon revitalization strategy. Initiated by Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2003, and with funding provided by Sen. Ted Stevens, the governor called on private industry to match $10 million of state funds to market Alaska salmon to the Lower 48 states. It is a multi-level, multi-year plan designed to stimulate productivity and innovation in the Alaska fishing industry and sustain availability of the wild product throughout the year.

The Alaska wild salmon brand is making its way to high-end restaurants, retailers and homes of consumers across the nation. While the unique taste and purity of Alaska wild salmon has long been valued, there is now a growing demand for the product. Legal Sea Foods Inc. President and CEO Roger Berkowitz says that when he heard the State of Alaska was offering grants to further promote Alaska fishery products, he was already working on a plan to do just that. "The collaboration came about at the same time. Hearing of the grant just made the synergies more apparent," he says. "Serving the finest, freshest, purest fish is what we do. We and others in the food business have always appreciated Alaska wild salmon as the finest in the world."

BIG SPLASH ON EAST COAST

Under this matching-grant program, Legal Sea Foods, in April 2004, became the first national restaurant company to designate Alaska wild salmon as its salmon of choice. The company is not just putting more of it on their menus, it also has committed to the major effort of educating consumers on the merits of the wild product. All 30 of the restaurants pledged to specify the origin of their salmon on the menu and through its servers. Alaska Airlines and NorQuest Seafoods, Alaska's largest value-added salmon processor, joined Legal Sea Foods for the opportunity and the challenge in educating consumers on the benefit of wild. "The continental U.S. is so accustomed to farmed salmon," says Berkowitz. The campaign has included advertising and consumer information programs in East Coast markets from Boston to Florida.

While the initiative was expected to more than double Legal Sea Foods' purchase of wild salmon flown in fresh from Alaska and reduce its use of farmed salmon, since the campaign launch, Legal Sea Foods has almost tripled its sale of wild salmon, importing 89 tons of seafood from...