Salmon Quality Program / Alaska Quality Seafood Program
The Alaska Quality Seafood Program (AQS) is paid for by the Alaska Manufacturer's Association (AKMA) and Program participants. AKMA receives funding from several state and federal sources. Surefish is contracted by AKMA since the project was launched in 2000 to develop quality handling procedures and specifications and provide hands-on training during the season to fishers, tenders, and plants. The program began to help revitalize the salmon industry in Alaska and is slated to expand to other species in the future.AQS is a comprehensive system that brings together fishers, tenders, buying stations and plants under uniform handling requirements with third party monitoring at each point. Although the Program has a variety of goals, the most important are:
- Improve quality and consistency
- Improve shelf life and reduce buyer yield loss
- Improve product value in the marketplace through the above
- Increase market share, and potentially price, through improved value to customers