Meeting Boston Seafood Show 3/13/03

Marketing Subcommittee -informal meeting
Chair Tom Kehoe, Lori Howell, Brian Peddie, Perry Raso, Bob Rheault
Rob Garrison, Rick Karney, Bill Silkes

Discussion:
Primary task now is marketing the association

Web site needs:
-members only section
-ability for growers to list contact information, logo, link to site
-advertising for dealers, gear suppliers
-consider special advertising rate for banner on home page

Information Distribution:
-need to get information out on a regular basis
-mailing to all growers soon
-follow up within a month with first newsletter
-consider three short 8 page NL and one major NL per year with most of the advertising in the big issue

Growers need to make their dealers and gear suppliers aware of the organization (right after a gear supplier / boat builder / outboard dealer gets that big check is a great time to hit them up for a membership)
-members need to talk to other growers - face to face
-possible mailing to oyster bars (press release to National Restaurant News)
-press release to industry magazines
-mailing to list of dealers (buy from Maine or Mass for $50)

Broad support for attending the NOAA fish fry in June
-members will have to provide product, shuckers and talkers for booth
-excellent way to get our message out to regulators

Participation:

Need to get participation in ISSC
Gulf and West Coast contingents will send 30 representatives each
East coast will typically send 6
ECSGA should send one or two
need more representation to have folks in each of the various subcommittees
East coast industry reps at the conference elect their delegates
Issues will be released in May - need to discuss

Issues that will concern us:
Vibrio parahemolyticus from shellfish causes 5000 illnesses a year nationwide, but rarely any outbreaks (defined as: two illnesses, same harvest area, same date). This is of concern to FDA and the are looking at this as an issue 2-3 years from now and will be framing the discussion this year.
Vibrio vulnificus continues to be a major issue.
There are many more important and complex issues - hopefully discuss at NESSA.

One idea that was suggested was that we could initiate a campaign to get FDA to drop their current official position that no raw molluscan shellfish should be consumed by anyone. The implication is that FDA is moving towards mandating either post- harvest treatment (eg. Freezing, pressure treating or depurating) or cooking all shellfish

Suggest next meeting of the ECSGA be at the NESSA meetings in Gloucester May 7-9
Lori Howell will get schedule and find a good time for meeting