Alaskan seafood market to develop pet food brand

Adapted from a press release.

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has secured over $4 million in new federal funding, including two $500,000 Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) grants, to boost the seafood industry's diversification efforts, with a specific focus on developing an Alaska Seafood pet food brand.

The S-K grants will support ASMI's initiative to enter the pet food market, recognizing the strong potential for Alaska seafood products in this growing sector. This effort aims to increase the utilization and value of Alaska seafood through innovative production and marketing strategies tailored to the pet food industry, said ASMI executive director Jeremy Woodrow.

The additional funding comes at a critical time as the Alaska seafood industry faces financial pressures from global market challenges. The Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) funds will also help ASMI expand international marketing efforts, allowing a shift of other resources to support the struggling U.S. seafood market.

“The timing of the RAPP funds is well-aligned with the Alaska seafood industry’s needs to combat numerous global economic pressures," said Woodrow. "While these funds will help ASMI grow our international efforts, they will also allow us to shift our other limited fund sources toward the U.S. market, where consumer demand for seafood has fallen dramatically and is sorely in need of marketing support.” 

RAPP funds are intended to foster expanded exports and market diversification by encouraging the development, maintenance and expansion of diverse commercial export markets for American agricultural commodities and products. Some expected uses of the funds include expanding trade, foodservice, consumer, and other promotions in Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region and executing a feasibility study to examine Alaska Seafood export potential to India. 

RAPP funding will also allow ASMI to supplement its efforts in Japan, the UK and parts of Eastern Europe. 

The S-K grants are part of a competitive grant program run by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries to address marketing and research needs. Each project can be awarded up to $500,000 and must demonstrate direct benefits to U.S. fisheries and meaningful participation of fishing communities. ASMI was awarded two of these grants, each to the maximum level allowable. 

The first grant is aimed at facilitating greater participation by the Alaska seafood sector in the pet food market. In 2022, the ASMI board of directors identified the strong potential for Alaska seafood products in this market. While U.S. pet food manufacturers purchased $893 million in fisheries products for use in cat and dog food in 2022, total agricultural products purchased by the sector were $6.9 billion. This grant award will allow ASMI to create resources for the Alaska seafood industry to target the pet food sector.