Saving Seafood

Shellfish and seaweed mariculture is focus of new Alaska industry alliance

June 15, 2021 — Alaskans who are engaged in or interested in mariculture are invited to become founding members in a group that will advance the growing industry across the state.

The newly formed Alaska Mariculture Alliance (AMA) is a private, nonprofit successor to a five-year task force formed in 2016 by Gov. Bill Walker and re-authorized in 2018 by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. The task force will sunset on June 30.

“One of the priority recommendations was to create a long-term entity that would coordinate and support development of a robust and sustainable mariculture industry to produce shellfish and aquatic plants for the long-term benefit of Alaska’s economy, environment and communities,” said Julie Decker, executive director of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, which administrated the task force and will do so for the AMA.

Decker clarified that Alaska mariculture encompasses farming of shellfish and aquatic plants and also includes enhancement and restoration projects.

There are 76 active aquatic farm and nursery permits in Alaska that when combined with 35 pending new applications, comprise 1,631 acres, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Some growers also are interested in sea cucumbers, geoduck clams and abalone.

Read the full story at the Anchorage Daily News

Alaska Mariculture Task Force transitioning to nonprofit organization

June 8, 2021 — The Alaska Mariculture Task Force has announced the formation of a new private nonprofit organization to help bolster and centralize the state’s growing mariculture industry. The membership-based nonprofit – called the Alaska Mariculture Alliance (AMA) – will launch this summer with a mission to “develop and support a robust and sustainable mariculture industry, producing shellfish and aquatic plants for the long-term benefit of Alaska’s economy, environment and communities,” according to a press release from the Alaska Fisheries Development Fund (AFDF), which has helped shepherd the task force through its foundation and early efforts to boost Alaska’s mariculture efforts.

The AMA is designed to take over the work that the Alaska Mariculture Task Force has been doing since 2016, when it was formally created then-governor Bill Walker. The task force was reauthorized in 2018 by current Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, but will be replaced by the AMA on 30 June, 2021.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Invitation to join the Alaska Mariculture Alliance

June 8, 2021 — The following was released by the Alaska Mariculture Task Force:

The Alaska Mariculture Task Force (Task Force) is inviting all those engaged in mariculture in Alaska to join the newly-formed Alaska Mariculture Alliance (AMA). The AMA is a private non-profit organization to be initiated in June 2021 with a mission to “develop and support a robust and sustainable mariculture industry, producing shellfish and aquatic plants for the long-term benefit of Alaska’s economy, environment and communities.”

The AMA is the successor organization to the Task Force and will help shape and coordinate the bourgeoning mariculture industry in Alaska. The Task Force, formed in 2016 by Governor Walker and re-authorized in 2018 with support by Governor Dunleavy, will sunset June 30, 2021. Work completed by the Task Force was guided by the Alaska Mariculture Development Plan (brief version here) and the Five-Year Action Plan. The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) facilitated the administrative role for the Task Force, and will continue to do so for the AMA.

“On behalf of the Task Force, we want to invite all those who are involved in or want to develop mariculture to consider being a Founding Member of the AMA, and to help shape the future of mariculture in Alaska,” Heather McCarty, Chair, Task Force. The application for Founding Membership should be returned by June 23, 2021. The Task Force will meet June 25 to accept applications for AMA membership and stand up the new organization.

Read the full release here

Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation cancels this spring’s Symphony of Seafood events

April 12, 2021 — The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) is cancelling the rescheduled Symphony of Seafood events planned for this spring due to “ongoing health and safety concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the organization said in a press release.

Preparation efforts for the next installment of the event are planned to resume later this year, with the call for product to be released in August 2021.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Beyond ‘Seaspiracy’: Debunking damaging myths in fisheries

April 2, 2021 — Our response to the docudrama “Seaspiracy” focuses on the underlying motive of plant-based diets and how it misses its target by inciting fear rather than relying on facts.

The University of Washington’s Sustainable Fisheries page regularly tracks misinformation in fisheries news.

The National Fisheries Institute was hot out of the gate with its reply last week.

The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation tracked and documented socially responsible fishing practices in Alaska’s commercial fleet, starting in 2017. Here’s their report and project outline.

The Global Aquaculture Alliance details why the film should be ignored.

SeafoodSource’s report links to responses from many of the NGOs and others who claim to have been misrepresented in the docudrama “Seaspiracy.”

Read the full story at National Fisherman

ALASKA: AFDF Announces 2021 Seaweed Farm Start-up Training Program

December 18, 2020 — The following was released by the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation:

The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) and partners released the registration for a Seaweed Farm Start-up Training Program to be held for Alaska residents interested in starting their own seaweed farm in Alaska. Registration for the program is now available on the Alaska Sea Grant website and will remain open until February 1, 2021. In 2020, this program was held in Kodiak, Ketchikan, and Sitka as part of Phase 2 of the Alaska Mariculture Initiative. In February of 2021, this program will be held again for a new cohort of participants, and will be conducted virtually via Zoom due to COVID-19 health and safety mandates. This virtual format will allow significant expansion of the training program, from 48 participants in 2020 to over 100 in 2021. Registration for the training program will be completed in two parts: 1) all interested Alaska residents are invited to register for a webinar to be held on February 2, 2021 at 4:00pm-6:00pm AST; and 2) webinar attendees will then be eligible to register for an in-depth series of virtual technical multi-day workshops over one week beginning on February 22 (2-3 hours each session). Participation in the February 2 webinar is required to be eligible for the technical workshop series. Please see below for more information.

Read the full release here

Alaska Symphony of Seafood rescheduled to 2021

September 22, 2020 — The Alaska Symphony of Seafood, scheduled to be held this November, has been postponed until spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release from the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF), which organizes the event.

The program has been hosted since 1994 and allows Alaskan value-added seafood products to compete against each other, which “encourages companies to invest in product development, helps them promote those new products and competitively positions Alaska Seafood in national and global markets.” A call for products will be reissued early next year.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Call for products to compete in Alaska Symphony of Seafood issued

August 25, 2020 — The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) has issued a call for products for the organization’s 2020-2021 Alaska Symphony of Seafood program.

The program has been hosted since 1994 and allows Alaskan value-added seafood products to compete against each other which “encourages companies to invest in product development, helps them promote those new products and competitively positions Alaska Seafood in national and global markets.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

New client confirmed for Alaska salmon MSC certificate

October 17, 2019 — The Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA) successfully transferred the clientship and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certificate for Alaska salmon over to the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) as of 1 October.

The development brings about the conclusion of “a deliberate and cooperative transfer process,” PSPA and AFDF said in a press release.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Control of Alaska salmon’s Marine Stewardship Council certificate changes hands

October 15, 2019 — The Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA) has transferred the clientship and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certificate for Alaska salmon to the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF), the groups announced Friday.

The MSC certificate for the Alaska salmon fishery remains unchanged, said AFDF.

The Alaska salmon fishery originally received the sustainability certification from the MSC in 2000. In April, the Alaska salmon fishery successfully completed the full 5-year re-certification under MSC. The current certificate is valid through Nov. 11, 2023.

AFDF is also the client for the MSC certification of Pacific cod and the client for the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification of Pacific cod and Alaska salmon.

Read the full story at IntraFish