Following a 30 percent increase in 2004, Alaska’s 2005 exports to Germany increased 23 percent to $180 million. The increases are driven by seafood sales that accounted for $163 million in 2005.

Germany’s consumers are well educated about health and environmental issues. Alaska’s wild and natural seafood, its well- managed fisheries, and food traceability are important to this market. The popularity of white fish--pollock, cod, halibut, sole and black cod--continues.

Governor Murkowski and a group of Alaska trade, fishery and tourism representatives led a trade mission to Germany’s largest seafood port, Hamburg, in April 2006 and met with seafood buyers and media. The visit generated positive coverage and renewed the close ties that many German buyers feel with Alaska. Members of the consumer and trade media attended the press conference and reception, including representatives from Essen & Trinken, Fischmagazin and the Frankfurter Zeitung. Ten representatives from major German seafood companies attended the trade luncheon, including Frosta AG, Gottfried Friedrichs, Pickenpack and Royal Greenland.

The trade mission group also toured Die Raucherei, a ‘micro’ seafood smoking plant located near Hamburg. Die Raucherei, in business since 1988, is an interesting example of Alaska’s high end European opportunities in catering and foodservice sectors. While the plant initially worked exclusively with farmed salmon, during the past decade it has increasingly begun promoting wild Alaska seafood products. In the mid-1990’s the facility began smoking wild Alaska coho and sockeye salmon and during the past few years has added both wild Alaska halibut and Alaska black cod to its product line.

German-speaking Europeans are Alaska’s largest international visitor market outside of North America, estimated at 35,000 visitors per year. Condor officials have been actively reviewing Alaska opportunities and indicated they are looking for tour wholesalers to guarantee a certain minimum load for additional air service to Alaska. For several years, Condor has been operating four charters per week to Alaska from mid-May to September with three flights to Anchorage and one to Fairbanks.