Fick Joins ABSC as Executive Director

Tyson Fick, a prominent face in the marketing of all of Alaska’s abundant seafood harvest for the past six years, will join Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers on Dec. 1 as executive director.

Dramatic cuts in quota this year for Bristol Bay red king crab and snow crab, plus a state decision to shut down the Bering Sea tanner crab fisheries this year, have presented new challenges, but still “this is an exciting opportunity to work in an iconic fishery with some really smart and talented people,” said Fick.

“Consumer demand has never been stronger. Alaska crab is well known to be the best in the world. I’m looking forward to taking on new challenges and advancing the goals and priorities of ABSC,” he said.

Fick noted that the Alaska Board of Fisheries would take up at its January board meeting in Kodiak some form of a reduced bairdi fishery in 2017. That proposal was generated by the board during its Soldotna, Alaska work session.

At ASMI’s October All-Hands meeting in Anchorage, Fick delivered an extensive report on accomplishments over the past year in support of all ASMI marketing programs, an updated Alaska seafood economic report, and the development of ASMI’s new corporate website, www.alaskaseafood.org, plus international media tours and research efforts.

Fick will be opening an office in Juneau for ABSC, which has its main office in Seattle.

For the past six years Fick has been the communications director for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.
Prior to that, Fick was the legislative liaison for the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, and before that, a legislative staffer. He has a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University in business administration and marketing.

“Tyson brings tremendous skills in seafood marketing and policy advocacy to the organization, said ABSC President Kale Garcia. “We are looking forward to having him aboard.”

ABSC is a trade organization representing harvesters of king, snow and bairdi crab in federal waters off Alaska, with a goal of ensuring the sustainability of Alaska crab fisheries. ABSC is actively involved in scientific research, policy development and marketing of crab products, Garcia said.