Oysterfest Celebrates Future Of Southeast Shellfish Industry
June 18, 2012 | 1 min to read
JUNEAU — The economic development branch of Sealaska Corp. celebrated the first production of three Yakutat shellfish farms it helped launch, and the future of a regional aquaculture industry at the first annual Alaska Oyster Festival June 6 in Juneau.
“We can have a $30 million industry instead of a $400,000 industry,” said Anthony Lindoff, mariculture manager for Haa Aani, a wholly owned Sealaska subsidiary. The smaller figure was last year’s production from the Yakutat farms, including two that are independently owned and one as a “training platform” for future farmers.
Gov. Sean Parnell was among more than 100 guests who enjoyed “Pearl of Alaska” oysters.
The occasion was also the venue for a signing ceremony for House Bill 121. Introduced at the governor’s request, the bill established independent revolving loan funds for mariculture operations, Community Quota Entities, halibut charter fishing businesses and general business microloans.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Alaska Journal of Commerce