That's up from a quarter of a million pounds of salmon certified a year ago, under a strict quality control program put together in 2000.

Although Grabacki said that it is a small percentage of the overall salmon harvest that participates in the quality control program, he said, "we are thrilled by the performance of the fishermen and processors in the Alaska Quality Seafood Program. Within the program, there has been a tremendous increase in quality and tremendous increase of buyer recognition of that quality."

The four-pronged program includes quality handling of fish on the boat and at the plant, a grading of the product, independent verification of handling practices and product grades, and marketing the value of the certified quality seal.

Fishermen and processors involved in the program in 2003 at Cordova, Kenai, Kodiak, Chignik and Naknek saw prices boosted by attention to quality, Grabacki said. In all, 125 fishermen and 15 tenders or buying stations participated, working with red, pink and silver salmon harvested by driftnet, setnet and purse seine fisheries.

"We worked with headed and gutted, fillets and portions of salmon, in fresh and frozen formats," he said.

The 10 participating seafood processors told program managers they paid 5 to 25 cents a pound more for quality controlled salmon, "and it's even better this year," Grabacki said.

For quality frozen, headed and gutted salmon, the prices rose from 11 percent to 103 percent for premium, the top grade given to the product, Grabacki said. Fresh, headed and gutted fish rose in price from 47 percent to 90 percent in 2003, and frozen and fresh fillets were up 18 percent, Grabaki said.

"This year, we are still in the middle of the season, but we are very encouraged by what we hear the processors are paying to fishermen for quality prepared seafood," he said.

The Alaska Quality Seafood Program, developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce, is what is known as a "voluntary/mandatory" program, Grabacki said.

It's voluntary because anyone can participate in it and mandatory because participants must meet carefully outlined standards, he said.

What buyers are looking for is an unblemished fish with good meat color, good fresh appearance, said Bill Buck, a purchaser and salesperson for Favco, an Anchorage processor.

Each fish must be handled carefully to avoid bruising and to assure good color and fresh appearance.

Alaska Journal of Commerce