As per the Commodity Processing Porgram states and recipient agencies can contract with commercial food processors to convert raw bulk U.S. Department of Agriculture commodities into more convenient, ready-to-use products, such as fish sticks, nuggets and portions. Pat Shanahan, program director for the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers trade group, said that States have certain entitlement dollars based on the number of free and reduced-cost lunches they serve, and those entitlement dollars can be used to purchase commodity products.
The trade groups ensure that the USDA included the term “once frozen” in its purchase specifications, which pretty much guarantees that the fish will come from Alaska. Shanahan said five years ago, schools didn’t know there was a difference, but more are now specifying once-frozen Alaska pollock. The GAPP has been working with national school food programs for several years to create kid-friendly pollock products for school lunch trays.
Nancy Long, an information officer for the state Department of Fish and Game and editor of the salmon guide, expressed that it is been very useful for just about anyone who wants to know about Alaska salmon. She added that working on the salmon guide and other creative materials about Alaska’s fish and wildlife is the most fun part of her job. Alaska’s biggest fishery — pollock — begins next month, and several companies are hiring workers aboard catcher/processor vessels. Work averages 16 hours a day, for two to three months at sea.
