The board of the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) met last week to set the budget for the organization's coming year and direct a "substantial shift in the organization's marketing efforts."

"A year ago, GAPP quickly mobilized its knowledge and expertise to step up in defending our great industry and correcting misinformation about our fish and fishery where it is harvested -- in Alaska," said GAPP chairman Bob Desautel. "While great foundational strides have been made in this effort over the last year, it is clear that more work must be done on this front and GAPP -- through the Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance -- will do this challenging work while continuing to market our fish in Alaska, in the lower 48 and around the world."

Moving forward, the industry group will be putting a greater emphasis on business-to-business marketing versus its previous emphasis on consumer marketing. Part of that shift will come via a seven-figure investment in the GAPP Partnership Program, which the group boasts has "proven to be one of the most effective mechanisms for building demand for wild Alaska pollock around the world over the last five years."

"Marketing and communications work go hand in hand," said Desautel. "GAPP, at its core, will always be about creating that halo, turning trial into purchase into a lifelong love of our product. But GAPP is also uniquely positioned -- I would say the only organization positioned -- to protect the reputation of our fishery and our industry's freedom to operate. That, too, is critical to our leadership, our membership and the future of our industry."

During the meeting, Desautel, who stepped down as CEO of Global Seas in January, was elected as GAPP chairman for a third term. Doug Christensen, CEO and president of Arctic Storm, was reelected to serve a third-term as vice chair and treasurer.