Alaska Fish Factor

Weed is set to give a big boost to Alaska’s blue economy!

The interest in growing seaweeds in Alaska is gaining momentum and training more farmers is the goal of a program starting next February in Kodiak, Sitka and Ketchikan.

The training is phase two of the 2014 Alaska Mariculture Initiative that aims to grow a $100 million industry in 20 years.

“We’re doing this training because there is immense interest from coastal communities and commercial fishermen,” said Riley Smith, development director with the which helped spearhead the mariculture push.

The training program is funded by a $287,646...