July 19, 2002

Great news arrived for salmon fishermen this week, when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a U.S. Commerce Department Budget that includes $20 million for seafood marketing in Alaska.

The money will come from the Saltonstall-Kennedy Fund, which is fueled by duties and tariffs levied against foreign seafood imports. The United Salmon Association has worked closely with Senators Ted Stevens and Frank Murkowski for two years in an effort to access a portion of that money to support marketing efforts for the domestic seafood industry.

"When the Saltonstall-Kennedy Program was created, that money was meant to support American seafood producers," said United Salmon Association President Bruce Schactler. "The money has gone toward other governmental programs for many years. But USA believes that that money would be best spent helping our fishing industries compete in the marketplace."

Though the Saltonstall-Kennedy fund totals nearly $240 million annually, only $10 million came back to the fishing industry in 2002, through research programs in the National Marine Fisheries Service. The $20 million appropriation represents a tremendous turn-around in past funding policy.

"This is wonderful news for Alaskan fishermen," Schactler said. "Our salmon industry in particular is so crippled because of farmed salmon imports. But $20 million will be a great first step for the marketing health of our industry."

In 2001, USA developed a plan to aggressively pursue the use Saltonstall-Kennedy funds to create a National Seafood Marketing Fund. This plan was also adopted by the United Fishermen of Alaska.

©1999 USA Kodiak kodiak@unitedsalmon.org