New Alaska Shellfish and Seaweed Festival in May
Alaska Sea Grant is holding the first Alaska Shellfish and Seaweed Festival from May 17–20, hosted online with specials and promotions in several coastal communities around the state. Join us each evening for informative presentations, videos, and demonstrations all about oysters and seaweed in Alaska. Leading up to the event and during the week of the festival, if you order seafood products from any of the participating businesses, you’ll receive a special gift package that includes recipe cards, a shucking knife, and other mariculture related goodies.
The event kicks off with an introduction to mariculture from Melissa Good, Alaska Sea Grant’s mariculture specialist. Lexa Meyer, Alaska Sea Grant’s seafood workforce development coordinator and Alaska Mariculture Manager at Blue Evolution, will give an overview of seaweed farming. James Greeley, operations manager and oyster farmer at Tommaso Shellfish, will share information about oyster farming.
The second and third days of the event will feature video tours of Alaska oyster and seaweed farms, and live online cooking demonstrations. Festival attendees can watch from the comfort of their homes to learn how Alaska grown oysters and kelp are grown, harvested, and transformed into delicious entrees and condiments.
The final day of the event will feature discussions about the market for shellfish and seaweed, the future of mariculture in Alaska, and how communities and individuals can get involved. Marine aquaculture creates jobs, supports resilient working waterfronts and coastal communities, and provides new international trade opportunities. As global demand for seafood continues to grow, mariculture offers an economically beneficial and environmentally sustainable complement to Alaska’s wild fisheries.
The Alaska Shellfish and Seaweed Festival is free and open to the public, and includes activities for all ages. We encourage registering in advance in order to receive up-to-date information on how to attend. The event will also be live-streamed on Facebook for users to watch. We are continuing to add more speakers, activities, and other details, so visit the Alaska Shellfish and Seaweed Festival event page for updates and to register.
The Alaska Shellfish and Seaweed Festival is Alaska Sea Grant’s latest initiative to help develop the state’s mariculture industry and boost awareness of the traditionally and sustainably harvested seafood products available right here in the state. Mariculture is an emerging industry in Alaska and this festival provides an opportunity for the public to learn more about it.
Alaska Sea Grant thanks the participants and partners for making this event possible, including Baleen Brewing, Blue Evolution, Fish from Trish, Island Seafoods, Kodiak Island Brewing Co., Million Recipes, Odd Man Rush Brewing, Shikat Bay Oyster LLC, Tommaso Shellfish, and more.
Is your business interested in participating in this event or being added to our Alaska-grown shellfish and seaweed directory? Please contact Hannah Wilson for more information.