BBRSA Announces Plans for Fleet Meetings, Also Offering Free Safety Instructor Training

Image: Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association.

The Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association on Jan. 14 announced a series of fleet meetings to be held throughout 2025, beginning in early March.

Scheduled meeting dates include March 5 in Anchorage and March 6 in Homer, Alaska.

Also announced was a five-session online workshop from Alaska Sea Grant for those considering or currently involved in direct marketing seafood. The Zoom sessions are planned for the evenings of Feb. 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12.

Topics include regulations, marketing, business planning and quality. Participants will learn how to start or improve an Alaska direct marketing operation from seafood marketing and quality specialists, regulatory officials and experienced direct marketers, all for a cost of $50.

More information is available the BBRSDA website, https://www.bbrsda.com/.

Online registration for the classes is available at https://alaskaseagrant.org/event/seafood-direct-marketing-business-feb-2025.

In other news, the BBRSDA announced in mid-January that it’s offering a stipend to cover travel and accommodation in Seward, Alaska for fishermen to take a course to become a Marine Safety Instructor.

“BBRSDA is supporting training more trainers so that more safety classes can be offered within Bristol Bay during preseason,” the organization said in a statement. “These classes are popular with crew and captains alike but they have been limited by the availability of instructors during this busy time.”

The offer is open to Bristol Bay fishermen or residents who are committed to teaching Drill Conductor classes in Naknek and/or Dillingham preseason in late May or early June. Tuition is free to commercial fishermen, and BBRSDA has said that it will cover travel and accommodation for them, up to $2000.

Anyone interested in receiving the training, teaching the fleet in Bristol Bay and is available to be at Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC) in Seward, Alaska from April 14-18 is asked to contact Frances@bbrsda.com or (907) 677-2371.