2024 Alaska Aquaculture Report Highlights Accomplishments

A report on Alaska aquaculture released Sept. 27 by NOAA Fisheries highlights key achievements in research, sustainability and community-driven projects contributing to growth of the industry in Alaska over the past fiscal year.

Alaskan aquaculture, a relatively young industry, includes seaweed and invertebrate farming, with oysters, mussels and three types of kelp — sugar, ribbon and bull – as the primary species.

The aquaculture accomplishments report details how NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region Aquaculture Program engaged in projects to support sustainable development of Alaska’s aquaculture industry. NOAA Fisheries works with partners to improve and expand opportunities to promote sustainable marine production of shellfish and seaweed in Alaska.

The Alaska Aquaculture Program’s fiscal year 2024 aquaculture activities supported four strategic goals laid out in NOAA’s national 2023-2024 Aquaculture Strategic plan, including: managing sustainability and efficiently, lead science for sustainability, education and exchange of information, and support for economic viability and growth.

NOAA announced a year ago that its next aquaculture opportunity area (AOA) would be in Alaska state waters.  In coordination with the state of Alaska, NOAA hosted a series of spatial planning workshops in early 2024, beginning with one in February in Anchorage and another in Juneau in March.

More than 140 people attended the workshops, including people from Alaska Native communities, fishermen, aquaculture industry representatives, environmental organizations, scientists and state and federal personnel.

The summary report for the AOA area Spatial Planning workshops, issued in August, identified data gaps, points of contact and next steps for engagement and data collection.

NOAA’s Alaska regional office also announced that Hannah Wilson had joined the team as an assistant regional aquaculture coordinator, with the primary responsibility of supporting the AOA identification process.

Wilson is mandated to coordinate outreach, facilitate meetings, establish working groups with state and federal partners, and support data requests.  Wilson will help facilitate and coordinate projects with partners, including state and federal regulatory agencies, non-government organizations, tribes and other entities.

NOAA”s full 24-page report can be read and downloaded at https://tinyurl.com/4pacwuxu.

Source: https://fishermensnews.com/2024-alaska-aquaculture-report-highlights-accomplishments/