Efforts in Continuous Improvement and Innovation in Fishery Management to be Showcased at Wild Alaska Pollock Annual Meeting

 

SEATTLE, Wash.— Researchers, captains and industry leaders will come together to discuss the historical and recent significant improvements the Wild Alaska Pollock fishery has made at the industry’s annual gathering, the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) announced today. Two panels, one dedicated to a discussion around collaborative research informing environmental impacts and a second focused on technological advancements for bycatch avoidance will illuminate recent efforts along the industry’s journey of continuous improvement.

“This industry has worked incredibly hard, since its inception, to constantly look at the ways we harvest our fish and how we can do it more responsibly, more sustainably and more efficiently,” said Craig Morris, GAPP Chief Executive Officer. “While we haven’t always done a great job highlighting the efforts underway to continuously understand how we fish and what we can do better, this meeting will be one opportunity to put those robust discussions front and center.”

The panels, featuring renowned researchers including Alaska Pacific University’s Dr. Bradley Harris and Dr. Suresh Sethi, captains from the Alaska Pollock fleet, scientists including Jordan Head and Steve Martell, as well as other industry leaders will showcase the work that’s been done and what comes next on critical fishery management topics.

In addition to those two panels, the work of the newly-formed Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance (APFA), a cross-industry organization housed within GAPP, will also be spotlighted during an in-depth discussion between APFA’s Director of Communications, Sam Murphy, and public relations expert consultants Heather Handyside and Sarah Eckmann Ward of Blueprint Alaska.

“For too long, we’ve been focused on fishing and not on telling our story and deepening genuine connections in Alaska where we harvest the world’s most perfect protein: Wild Alaska Pollock,” said Morris. “APFA was formed to ensure that we share the truth about how we fish responsibly, deepen our connections within the communities where we operate in Alaska and beyond and correct misinformation about our fishery. We’ve been making progress against those objectives and I’m eager for our attendees to hear what we’ve been up to and how they can get engaged.”

The W Hotel in downtown Seattle will play host to the annual meeting for the second consecutive year. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 5:00 p.m., with an evening networking reception to immediately follow. Full registration information is available here for those wishing to attend the Wild Alaska Pollock Annual Meeting. GAPP's annual meeting is exclusively for those connected to the Wild Alaska Pollock industry, and registration is subject to GAPP approval.

For guests traveling to Seattle for the meeting, meeting attendees can enjoy a 7% discount on Alaska Airlines for flights to and from Seattle. Please reach out to GAPP directly at [email protected] to receive your discount flight code.

GAPP would like to thank its generous sponsors for this year’s event: USI Insurance Services (Title); Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Aquamar, Global Seas, and Port of Seattle (Gold); AgWest Farm Credit, Arctic Storm Management Group, Beck Pack Systems, Glacier Fish Company, Global Seafood Alliance, Gorton’s Seafood, Marine Stewardship Council, NORPEL, Trident Seafoods, Westward Fishing Company, and Westward Seafoods (Silver); Alaska Airlines, APICDA, Golden Alaska Seafoods, Highland Refrigeration, Industrial Resources, Inc., Islandsbanki, KAPP, Lynden, King & Prince Seafood, NSEDC, Phoenix Processor Limited Partnership, and Restaurant Depot (Bronze); Alaska Observers, Inc., Angulas Aguinaga, BAADER, Blueprint Alaska Advocacy & Strategy, Boyce Food Safety Consulting, IMA Corporation, and Trans-Ocean Products (Supporting). Sponsorships are still available at all levels besides Title. Please reach out to Craig Morris at [email protected] if you are interested in sponsoring this prestigious event.