In 2004, the AK State Legislature enacted House Bill 419, which enabled the formation of Regional Seafood Development Associations (RSDA) in Alaska for the purpose of assessing Regional Seafood Development taxes of area fisheries. The Copper River/Prince William Sound Marketing Association formed as the RSDA for all fisheries within the Prince William Sound region. In May 2005 the CR/PWS MA successfully held an election to assess a 1% regional seafood development tax of the drift gillnet fleet. Nearly 60% of the 541-member drift gillnet fleet voted in the election, which passed with 78% approval. This election established Alaska’s first Regional Seafood Development Association (RSDA) and ushered in a new era for Alaska seafood marketing. In 2009, PWS set-gillnet salmon fishermen voted to join the Association. The CR/PWS MA is funded by this 1% assessment, along with supplementary grants and membership dues paid by area processors and non-assessed members.
The Association is run by a board of directors made up of assessed fishermen and dues-paying members. Through a strategic planning process originally held in 2007, the board established five strategic priorities to base the organization's programs on:
Brand Enhancement
Quality Enhancement
Cooperative Partnerships
Research & Education
Organizational Competence
Visit the Projects page to learn more about what initiatives we've undertaken to address each of these strategic priorities.