FISHERIES
Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute Science and industry in Seward
Birds Eye Photography
By Nancy Erickson
S
eward’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute quietly celebrated its 30th anniversary recently, but many residents and even some in the industry are unaware of the pioneering work the shellfish hatchery and mariculture research center has conducted. Built by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game from criminal settlement funds resulting from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Mariculture Technical Center opened in 1992 with the primary purpose of producing oysters and clams for aquatic farmers. The institute was initially operated by the Qutekcak Native Tribe of Seward, and it became the Alutiiq
38 | May 2022
Alaska Business www.akbizmag.com
