Upcoming cuts to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s (ASMI) budget will see it turn focus back on its domestic market in the United States, ASMI Executive Director Alexa Tonkovich, told IntraFish at the Brussels seafood show.

In the current, “difficult climate”, ASMI’s funding could be cut 30 percent “in the best case scenario,” said Tonkovich, to $3.24 million.

The worst case scenario will see the funding from the state shrink to $2.3 million. In comparison, last year the state funding was $4.9 million.

This is not overall funding – which includes industry and federal --  and ASMI is targeting a budget of $17 million in total for operating costs.

Although the state is set to make a decision in the coming days, ASMI will stick to its planned $17 million budget regardless and “move forward as planned”.

 

 

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