2024 - Looking Forward
/It’s that time of year to look forward to the year ahead. With the new year dawning it’s fitting that we share the enthusiasm and commitment your board of directors and staff have for the job ahead. With shifting global market conditions and reduced revenues, the association will focus on its core competencies in 2024. What follows is a short description of each of our core programs.
MARKETING
A primary mission of the association is marketing Bristol Bay salmon. With an eye toward keeping a balanced budget in 2024, our marketing experts Lilani Dunn and Aubrey McNeil and marketing committee chairman Peter Andrew are implementing a reset to our marketing program.
The reset includes bringing “in-house” several marketing programs that were previously contracted outside the association, resulting in significant savings. The in-house marketing has already been outlined by Lilani, who with Aubrey will be focusing the messaging on the health benefits of wild natural salmon and the unique story of Bristol Bay’s fleet, you who harvest most of the world’s wild salmon.
Their marketing work has evolved into a sophisticated “omni-channel” offering of consumer “touchpoints,” which includes national media coverage, social food media influencers, celebrity chef demos, cooking and tasting events and more. Along with legacy branding, in store signage and point of sale materials, Bristol Bay sockeye promotions are in more than 15,000 retail stores nationwide. You can view the progress at bbrsda.com/marketing.
Lilani also chairs the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) domestic marketing committee. Complimenting her role on the domestic side of Alaska’s global seafood marketing agency, and Aubrey’s creative digital talents, is Barry Collier, a former ASMI board chairman and industry executive who joined the marketing team this fall. Together they’re a powerful lineup in the face of market realities for us and our industry partners.
QUALITY
A lesson both processors and fishermen can take away from 2022’s record sockeye harvest is that fish quality not only matters, it is paramount in terms of consumer expectations. While 2023’s fish quality is reportedly better, continued quality improvement remains critical to maintaining market share, despite the intrinsic superiority of wild natural salmon from Bristol Bay’s pristine environment. In addition to the tremendous progress our fleet has made for delivering higher quality fish, our staff expert Frances Bursch and the Quality Committee, led by committee chair, fisherman and RSW technician Franz Schonberg, continue to better understand the points of the supply chain where most quality is lost and the most effective ways to intervene to overcome shortfalls.
Quality improvement projects scheduled for 2024 will include:
RSW Operator Classes – BBRSDA will continue to reimburse members $500 toward the cost of the class. Those who’ve taken the class report being better equipped to maintain and troubleshoot their systems after having taken then class. Preventing even one day of fishing lost to a breakdown has a big return to fishermen.
RSW Apprenticeship program – In 2023, two RSW companies collaborated with BBRSDA to offer apprenticeships and hands-on experience on repairs and startups in Bristol Bay, putting more hands to work on the fleet’s chilling systems in the short term and training for tomorrow’s RSW technicians. More information is at bbrsda.com/quality.
SUSTAINABILITY
The Sustainability committee is chaired by director Mark Niver, captain of the F/V Surrender. Mark has been an important voice in opposition to the proposed Pebble Mine project. While the mine continues to lurk in the shadows along with other environmental threats to the health of the watershed, we remain committed to continuing the following programs:
BBRSDA works closely with the Bristol Bay Science and Research Institute and provides funding for the Port Moller test fishery (along with state funding and support from the processing sector). The turnaround time for DNA data and in-season run information keeps getting better.
Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay is another important collaborator and grantee. Providing representation for the fleet in the fight against Pebble mine and for future permanent protection for Bristol Bay.
DIRECTORS ELECTION, OUTREACH & ORGANIZATION
On the immediate horizon for our outreach team is the upcoming board of directors’ election. Please look for your notice of election and solicitation for candidates.
In addition, the BBRSDA is supporting changes to the USDA Farm Bill and collaboration with industry partners. As previously reported Barry Collier has been contracted to help the RSDA’s marketing efforts and has begun making overtures to foreign buyers and decision makers in the processing sector. We hope to open new doors to new partnerships with Barry’s support and will keep you updated throughout the year.
The new year will likely bring new challenges and opportunities for the fleet, the RSDA, and the seafood industry as a whole. We are implementing strategies to address significant market changes as well as the departure of our executive director Andy Wink, whose leadership was instrumental in bringing the RSDA to where it is today. We are thankful for his commitment to the RSDA’s mission. In time we’ll begin a search for a new executive director, and in the meantime we’re confident we have a strong team dedicated to propelling our mission into the new year.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact any of your directors through board@bbrsda.com. Our best wishes for the new year to you and yours.
Sincerely,
Fritz, Erick, Doug, Pete, Mark, Franz and Matt, Lilani, Becky, Frances and Aubrey
