Steps for seafood prominence in the '90s.

• Author: Talley, Ken
• Position: Alaska - Alaska From The Outside - Editorial

Steps for seafood prominence in the '90s

DURING THE PAST DECADE, ALASKA WAS THE POINT man for the U.S. seafood industry, leading the nation as it wrested control of U.S. waters within the 200-mile zone from the domination of foreign fleets. With salmon as its foundation and bottomfish as its rampart, the Alaska industry has created a seafood fortress that has stood both the consumer and the industry in good stead.

It's no exaggeration to say that the 1980s posed a supplyside dream, and Alaska orchestrated that dream. Alaska fisheries production now approaches 3 billion pounds of seafood a year, worth a whopping $1.3 billion. In compiling those production figures, Alaska fishermen - whether home-grown or just visiting - proved their preeminence among their international peers.

It wasn't all that many years ago that people openly questioned the skill, knowledge and technical expertise of Alaskan fishermen. Could they take advantage of the fish stocks given by the Magnuson Act? Today, nobody even ponders the question, much less asks it out loud. U.S. fishermen, in general, and Alaska fishermen, in particular, are the leaders. Period.

But the job is far from over. As the industry enters the decade of the 1990s, challenges and opportunities face Alaska that will take a different kind of expertise. Now the challenge will be to compete successfully in an evermore competitive worldwide food industry. No longer must we think of ourselves as being in the fishing industry, or even in the seafood industry. Rather, we are now in the food industry, competing for consumers against the likes of beef and poultry. Competition from imported fish and seafood will provide another challenge.

How do we entice the consumer to eat more fish? That is the question. During the supply-side decade of the 1980s, consumers discovered the healthful benefits and good taste of fish and shellfish. Alaska fishermen and processors were leaders in providing the consumer a whole new fish menu from which to choose.

But the consumer is fickle, wary. While seafood consumption in the United States has grown from 12.8 pounds per capita in 1980 to 15 pounds per capita in 1988, further growth is far from assured. Even though the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Fisheries Institute predict per-capita consumption will climb to between 17 and 20 pounds by the year 2000, Alaska's seafood industry knows it is no sure thing.

Fortunately, Alaska already has the tools to lead the...