BRISTOL BAY REGIONAL SEAFOOD

Sustainability: to help ensure the biological sustainability of the bristol bay salmon fishery, bbrsda undertook the following sustainability efforts from january 1 to december 31:-bbrsda members and its board consider the proposed pebble mine an existential threat to the bristol bay salmon fishery. The organization funded several efforts pertaining to the pebble mine focused on expanding information about potential project impacts and seeking maximum environmental protections for salmon habitat in bristol bay, including a $18,000 grant to commercial fishermen for bristol bay for doing stakeholder outreach and communication.-the board committed $78,538 to the bristol bay science and research institute, a group that conducts salmon assessment projects and other scientific research in bristol bay during the fishing season, including on-board genetics analysis. These projects resulted in better information about the salmon run timing and destination, as well as providing support for fishery management and resource sustainability. -the sustainability committee met 3 times in support of the sustainability program.

Quality: to improve fish quality by: building the capacity and desire in the fleet to chill fish at the point of harvest, supporting maintenance of the machinery that allows the fleet to do so, and investing in technology that can accurately measure fish quality so fishermen are paid for their efforts, the bbrsda undertook the following efforts from january 1 to december 31:-the board reviewed and approved funding for 3 quality projects and related expenses in 2024, including projects to improve refrigerated seawater (rsw) system service, increase awareness of best handling practices at point of harvest and improve quality at point of sale to consumers such as:--fish quality best practices information shared with the fleet,--funding for on-the-job training of rsw apprentices in bristol bay, --funding for rsw training for members,--improving the presentation and quality of bristol bay sockeye salmon at retail by incentivizing the use of skin-pack packaging.-the quality committee met 4 times in support of the quality program.