Alaska shellfish farming could be worth $50 million

While no detailed scientific and economic studies have been conducted to quantify the exact potential of shellfish aquaculture in Alaska, the report from the OceansAlaska Marine Science Center compared the prospects for Alaska to those of Canada and New Zealand.

Industry and state officials met Tuesday and Wednesday to formulate a strategic plan for the industry, John Sund, project manager for OceansAlaska, told IntraFish. “The planning process is just starting,” he said.

A Canadian study found the current shellfish industry production of British Columbia of CAD $23 million ($19.7