Last week, Alaska Sea Grant and Central Council Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska hosted a mariculture workshop for people interested in or actively involved in oyster farming. Funded by the Alaska Mariculture Cluster (AMC) through its subaward with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the workshop aligns with AMC’s workforce development goals by expanding access to knowledge of the mariculture industry and strengthening participants’ understanding of oyster farming. During the workshop, participants visited a FLPUSY, discussed regulatory frameworks, and learned about seed supply.

These lessons were featured by KTOO, Juneau’s public radio station, which published an article about the workshop on February 17th. The article discussed the role of a FLUPSY in oyster farming, shared testimonies from workshop organizers, and outlined how mariculture can benefit communities and economies throughout Juneau. The article also mentioned the impactful role that AMC funding has had on the industry, noting that: “the recent availability of funding and training in Alaska mariculture makes the industry attractive” and linked to the AMC website.

About the AMC Marketing Program

Funded through the AMC’s Market Development grant component, the Alaska Mariculture Alliance (AMA) and Southeast Conference (SEC) have launched a robust marketing program to increase awareness, demand, and long-term market opportunities for Alaska’s growing mariculture industry. The AMC Marketing Program is being advanced by Tastemaker Comms in partnership with Rising Tide Communications – two experienced firms with extensive backgrounds in seafood marketing, brand development, and campaign execution.

About the Alaska Mariculture Cluster

In September 2022, Southeast Conference was awarded a $49 million U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant to stimulate private investment and grow Alaska’s mariculture industry to $100 million in sales in 10 years.  The Alaska Mariculture Cluster grant involves a large coalition of state agencies, Tribes, non-profits, and others working together over a five year period ending May 2027.