Aquaculture in Alaska is dominated by the production of shellfish and aquatic plants. These include
Pacific oyster
The Pacific oyster, Japanese oyster, or Miyagi oyster (''Magallana gigas''), is an oyster native to the Pacific coast of Asia. It has become an introduced species in North America, Australia, Europe, and New Zealand.
Etymology
The genus ''Mag ...
s,
blue mussels
The blue mussel (''Mytilus edulis''), also known as the common mussel, is a medium-sized edible marine bivalve mollusc in the family Mytilidae, the mussels. Blue mussels are subject to commercial use and intensive aquaculture. A species with ...
,
littleneck clams
The hard clam (''Mercenaria mercenaria''), also known as the round clam, hard-shell (or hard-shelled) clam, or the quahog, is an edible marine bivalve mollusk that is native to the eastern shores of North America and Central America from Prince E ...
, scallops, and
bull kelp Bull kelp is a common name for the brown alga '' Nereocystis luetkeana'' which is a true kelp in the family Laminariaceae.
Species in the genus '' Durvillaea'' are also sometimes called "bull kelp", but this is just a shortening of the common name ...
. Finfish farming has been prohibited in Alaska by the 16.40.210 Alaskan statute, however non-profit mariculture continues to provide a steady supply of aquaculture in the state. Many organizations that helped the ban, now encourage the growing of shellfish and other oysters.
Overview
Alaskan
aquaculture
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
is an important resource not just for the state, but for the entire country. Alaska is filled with a variety of aquatic fish,
shellfish
Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...
, plants, and other species that all play an important role in the aquaculture process. Commercial salmon and herring fisheries dominate Alaskan harvesting and production and harvesting sights are located on the coast line throughout the state, producing an average of 750 million pounds each year. Commercial shellfish fisheries also greatly contribute to annual statistics and at its high point 400 million pounds of shellfish have been produced in one year.
See also
*
Alaska salmon fishery
The Alaska salmon fishery is a managed fishery that supports the annual harvest of five species of wild Pacific Salmon for commercial fishing, sport fishing, subsistence by Alaska Native communities, and personal use by local residents. The salmo ...
*
Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association
The Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association (CIAA) is a non-profit organization based in Kenai, Alaska, that works to create sustainable salmon stocks in the Cook Inlet area.
Initially the Alaska Department of Fish and Game ran most hatchery programs i ...
*
Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aquaculture In Alaska
Agriculture in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
Commercial fishing in Alaska