NOAA and the State of Alaska released the Summary report for the Alaska Aquaculture Opportunity Area spatial planning workshops.
The first workshop was held in Anchorage on February 26, 2024. The second was held in Juneau on March 26 and 27, 2024.
The workshops served as a comprehensive exchange of information and discussion of the ongoing Identification process for aquaculture areas in Alaska State watersIn addition, each event provided an opportunity for a broad range of participants to use their learnings to inform future planning. The workshop results summarized in this report will assist Alaska Natives, coastal managers, local communities, industry, and other organizations in planning the future development of aquaculture in Alaska.
The workshops created a collaborative environment in which participants:
More than 140 people attended the workshops, including members of the Alaska Native community, fishermen, representatives of the aquaculture industry, environmental organizations, scientists, technical experts, and state and federal agency staff.
Participants explored six ocean sectors:
- Limits
- Oceanographic and hydrographic data
- Natural resources
- Cultural and social resources
- fishing
- Industry and shipping
The Natural resources And Cultural and social resources The individual sectors stimulated the most discussion at each event.
The workshops identified a variety of data tracks and gaps in each marine sector studied. The report provides detailed information on each sector, as well as data tracks, gaps, and additional questions, concerns, and insights raised by participants.
“The insights we gained in these workshops have enabled NOAA to increase focus and follow-up on the data. We have also begun to fill in the data gaps for the Alaska Aquaculture Opportunity Area spatial analysis. We would like to thank the workshop participants for the valuable information and perspectives they gave us and for improving this product for Alaska,” said Alicia Bishop, Alaska Regional Aquaculture Coordinator, NOAA Fisheries.
NOAA will release draft results of the Aquaculture Opportunity Area spatial analysis for public comment in early 2025.
The workshop report was prepared by:
- NOAA Fisheries
- NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
