West Coast trade show draws hundreds to ASG booth

Pacific Marine Expo, the largest commercial marine trade show on the West Coast, was a lot fun for us this year. We had the pleasure of meeting with nearly 400 attendees of the Seattle-based conference who stopped by our booth in the Alaska Hall to say hello, many of them commercial fishermen.

Marine Advisory agent Gabe Dunham greets an attendee at Pacific Marine Expo 2018 in Seattle. Photo by Heather Brandon.

Lots of people took copies of our Fishermen’s Direct Marketing Manual, a guide on how to bypass the middleman and sell fish directly to buyers. Many were also interested in our other publications geared toward fishermen, including Net Mending and Patching and Gillnet Hanging.

We also met with students interested in our fellowship programs, including the Alaska Sea Grant State Fellowship and the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.

Alaska Sea Grant State Fellow Kayla Schommer speaks with a woman at Pacific Marine Expo about our fellowship programs. Photo by Heather Brandon.

Another hot topic at the Alaska Sea Grant booth was kelp. Participants wanted to learn more about the scientific research we’re funding into kelp production and what they can do to farm kelp themselves.

Our popular Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summit was another topic of conversation. The Summit brings new entrants to the fishing industry together, as well as people who are contemplating getting into the business. It’s a three-day intensive networking and training conference that provides insights on fishing business management, financing, regulations, markets and more. We’re already planning for our next summit in January 2020.