Alaska Sea Grant receives $450,000 donation from Northwest Farm Credit Services

This story originally appeared on UAF News and Information.

Fairbanks, Alaska—Alaska Sea Grant at the University of Alaska Fairbanks received a $450,000 donation from Northwest Farm Credit Services (NWFCS) to fund several programs that support Alaska’s commercial seafood harvesters, pillars of the state’s economy. 

Alaska Sea Grant and its Marine Advisory Program offers technical assistance, education, applied research and other expertise to enhance and sustain healthy coastal economies, communities and ecosystems. The NWFCS donation is directed to programs that provide business education and tools to current and aspiring Alaska commercial fishing business owners. 

The donation will support: 

• Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summit, a business networking and training event for fishermen entering the commercial fishing industry
• FishBiz website, providing comprehensive business information for fishermen at every stage of their career
• FishBiz on the Water, a mobile app being developed for industry-specific business management and recordkeeping
• Business of Fishing workshop, a new one-day class to be offered in alternate years from the Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summit to provide fishing business management training for new entrants in the industry

“As part of its commitment to improving the lives of its customers, communities and the industries it serves, Northwest Farm Credit Services is excited to invest in these important University of Alaska projects,” said Linda Hendricksen, NWFCS Senior VP of Marketing and Public Affairs. 

“This generous investment by Northwest Farm Credit Services highlights Alaska Sea Grant’s leadership in the development and delivery of workforce training for fishermen and fishing businesses that are so valuable to Alaska,” said Ginny Eckert, Alaska Sea Grant Director. “We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with Northwest Farm Credit Services to support the businesses and communities we both serve.” 

Alaska Sea Grant is a partnership between the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Sea Grant is a network of 34 university-based programs across the country. For more than 50 years, Alaska Sea Grant has supported Alaska’s coastal communities through research, outreach and education.

For more information, contact Gabe Dunham, Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program Agent.