The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) is slated to expand its Partnership Program to the European market.
In April, GAPP announced that its board of directors had approved USD 1 million (EUR 895,518) in funding for the second round of its Partnership Program, which delivers wild Alaska pollock to North American consumers. The new European program will work the same way as the North American one, with partners bringing equal or greater funds to the table as GAPP provides.
GAPP is currently accepting proposals for new and innovative ways to introduce Wild Alaska Pollock to the new market. Proposals, which can promote any pollock format – fillets, surimi, roe, fishmeal, and oil – are due in March of next year.
According to a press release, GAPP is hoping to build awareness and demand for pollock throughout Europe.
“Wild Alaska Pollock delivers on all current consumer trends as an all-natural, sustainably harvested, clean protein,” said GAPP Board of Directors Chair Mikel Durham. “We invite European market participants to tell us how we can help expand awareness of our species’ positive attributes with European consumers, thereby creating more value for everyone. We are offering an important incentive to help show how Wild Alaska Pollock positively compares to other protein options.”
“We’re looking for disruption,” GAPP CEO Craig Morris told SeafoodSource. “The opportunity for Wild Alaska Pollock is value-added products so we’re looking for partners that want to think outside the box and bring something new and innovative to the table. We want to support that.”
However, GAPP doesn’t plan to reinvent the wheel for the Alaskan market.
“Wild Alaska Pollock has a long and successful history in Europe and that’s why we’re investing here,” Morris added. “This is a critical market and Europe already indexes so much higher than North America when it comes to seafood consumption. The opportunities are endless because the consumers already love seafood. This is a fertile market filled with willing and eager seafood consumers.”
Photo courtesy of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers
