Japanese surimi executives visit Dutch Harbor on ASMI trade mission

Four executives from Japanese surimi manufacturers toured onshore processing plants and a catcher-processor in Dutch Harbor from July 28 to Aug. 1 on a trade mission the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute organized with the All Japan Kamaboko Association, known as Nikkama, according to the institute's FY26 Accomplishments & FY27 Outlook report for Japan.

The delegates are expected to run a nationwide educational campaign through June 2027, reaching about 500 member companies through industry journals and lectures, the report says. It also says Japanese buyers continue to express frustration that tariffs on Alaska seafood remain at parity with those on Russian seafood.

Dutch Harbor has been the top U.S. fishing port by volume for 26 consecutive years, according to NOAA Fisheries. In a November 2025 presentation, the institute's Japan program said the threat of Russian surimi in Japan is increasing, with growing talk that its quality is improving. From January through August 2025, Japan imported 46,186 metric tons of frozen pollock surimi from the United States and 16,117 metric tons from Russia, the presentation said.

The institute also brought Japanese seafood influencer Asana Mori to Dutch Harbor. Her four videos drew more than 1 million combined views in September, the institute said Oct. 6.