Alaska state officials have given preliminary approval to Seattle-based Trident Seafoods to move forward with a 25-acre lease in the Cook Bay area of Kodiak to farm sugar kelp, bull kelp and ribbon kelp.
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has not completely approved the lease as the public can submit public comments until Aug. 24, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported.
Since last year, Trident has been eyeing commercial seaweed farming in Alaska, according to government records that show the company has applied for two leases with the state for kelp. The second lease is for a 101-acre lease in the Left Hand Bay area of the Aleutians, according to state documents.
In 2020, the DNR received 23 aquatic farm applications for Alaska, with 17 of them being requests for new leases, a slight jump from 2019 when it received 12 new lease applications.
