Alaska Fish Taco People’s Choice Winner Crowned

Lauren Wyler of Austin, Texas and her Alaska Jerk Fish Tacos with Maple Mango Slaw topped nineteen other contestants to claim the Wild Alaska Fish Taco People's Choice Award. The contest, sponsored by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, was part of the 1st Ever Wild Alaska Fish Taco Recipe Contest judged by celebrity chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to ASMI.

Ms. Wyler wins a new Apple iPad 2 and, of course, bragging rights for her winning recipe that features Alaska cod. Out of hundreds of entries, the top twenty fish taco recipes were selected by Milliken and Feniger and then subject to public scrutiny during a month-long voting period hosted on Facebook.

Visit www.alaskafishtaco.com to view Wyler's recipe along with the rest of the top 20 recipes entered during the 1st Ever Wild Alaska Fish Taco Recipe Contest.

"Fish and shellfish have always been a large part of my diet, and always my first choice," said Ms. Wyler, who grew up in New Orleans. "After Hurricane Katrina my husband and I moved to San Diego and that was the first time I had a fish taco in a little dive bar in Encinitas right down the street from the beach. I then proceeded to eat a fish taco at every restaurant we went to while living out there."

Ms. Wyler has since moved to Austin, Texas where she has been making fish tacos at home recreating those flavors from San Diego. A friend who enters recipe contests frequently, knowing how much Wyler loves seafood, suggested that she enter the contest.

"I'm still testing them everywhere I go!" laughed Wyler.

For more than 50 years, Alaska has been dedicated to sustainable seafood. It's so essential to our way of life that our constitution has a mandate that "fish ... be utilized, developed and maintained on the sustained yield principle." The seafood industry is Alaska's largest private sector employer. As a result, Alaskans understand the need to protect the fisheries and surrounding habitats for future generations. We're proud of our leadership in sustainable management, which has led to an ever-replenishing supply of wild seafood for markets around the world.