Press Release, No. 05-006:  February 10, 2005

Contact: Sue Aspelund, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, (907) 465-6139

State of Alaska to Hold Townhall Meetings to Discuss the Growth of Finfish Farming

Juneau) – Over the next several months, the State of Alaska will host three townhall meetings to seek the advice and listen to the concerns of Alaskans in response to growth in world aquaculture and its potential impacts and benefits to Alaskans and their communities.

“These townhall meetings are being held to give the State of Alaska an opportunity to hear from Alaskans their ideas on how to best protect the long-term economic prosperity of coastal Alaska given the continual growth of finfish aquaculture worldwide,” said David Bedford, Deputy Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “We hope that Alaskans will engage in this critical policy discussion so important to the viability of our wild seafood fishing industry.”

The three meetings follow a meeting held by the State of Alaska on November 12, 2004, at the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle, and are part of a series entitled “Alaska at the Crossroads: A Townhall Meeting to Identify Options for Addressing the Growth of Finfish Farming.”

The meetings, which are open to the public, are scheduled as follows:

Date: Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Time: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – NMFS “Aquaculture: Potential for the Future”
7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. – SOA “Alaska at the Crossroads”
Location: Juneau, Alaska – Centennial Hall

Date: Tuesday, March 1, 2005
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – NMFS “Aquaculture: Potential for the Future”
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – SOA “Alaska at the Crossroads”
Location: Anchorage, Alaska – Anchorage Hilton

Date: Thursday, March 17, 2005
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – NMFS “Aquaculture: Potential for the Future”
2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – SOA “Alaska at the Crossroads”
Location: Kodiak, Alaska – Kodiak High School (held in conjunction with ComFish Alaska’s
26th Annual Trade Show and Policy Summit)

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) will host an independent presentation entitled “Aquaculture: Potential for the Future” in conjunction with these townhall meetings. Alaskans are encouraged to attend this seminar prior to the state’s townhall meetings in order to learn about NMFS’
vision for U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) aquaculture, the current status of worldwide aquaculture production, and hear from the aquaculture industry.

The expansion of finfish farming across the globe has sparked controversial debates over the potential socio-economic and environmental impacts associated with aquatic farming. The issues surrounding this debate have become even more important given the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, draft legislation by NMFS to expand aquaculture in the EEZ, and recent actions by British Columbia to permit black cod farming.

Having seen how the worldwide growth of farmed finfish has created head-to-head competition with wild salmon markets, Alaskans are concerned about similar impacts to other wild harvest species resulting from farmed production. Alaskans are also concerned about environmental issues associated with marine farms, as well as the potential for disease and parasite transfers from farmed to wild stocks.

In response to these concerns, Governor Frank Murkowski has asked the federal government to place a five-year moratorium on new finfish aquaculture operations in order to allow adequate scientific research on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the fish farming. The Governor has also reiterated the need for state governors to play a substantial role in determining what types of aquaculture activities would occur off their coastlines, and for a statutory prohibition on aquaculture of salmon and some other species.

Alaskan fishermen and fisheries-dependent communities have a vested interest in this issue. An effective response to changes in aquaculture production in worldwide fisheries markets may require coordinated efforts by the State, the fishing industry, and affected communities.

Those unable to attend the above-mentioned meetings may learn more about this issue by visiting http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/special/fishfarming.php

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will accept written comments on the issue between March 15 and April 15, 2005. Written comments may be submitted to:

Craig Farrington, Fishery Biologist
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game
P.O. Box 25526
Juneau, Alaska 99802-5526

or via email at: craig_farrington@fishgame.state.ak.us

Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. on April 15, 2005.

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