For presentation only. Do not cite, copy or distribute without the author's consent.

ALYESKA INTERTIDAL The Great Land IN ALASKA

Raymond RaLonde Waters of Abundance Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program • Shared resources University of Alaska Fairbanks • Conflicts abound [email protected]

NW Workshops on Bivalve Aquaculture and the Environment Sept 13-14, 2007

FIRST THINGS FIRST A HISTORY LESSON STATEHOOD ACTION Alaska State Constitution • Controlled by outside interests Article VIII Natural Resources • Unmanageable fish traps • depletion • Federal management SECTION 3. COMMON USE. Wherever occurring negligence in their natural state, fish, wildlife, and waters are • Alaska Native village reserved to the people for common use. displacement

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THE REALITIES OF DOING SHELLFISH FARMING AQUACULTURE IN ALASKA HISTORY

Early

600

• Environmental protection – America’s last frontier • 1910-61 - Early efforts for oysters t a 500 e m

400 f o 300 s n

o 200 l

• 1970s - Struggling oyster farms l a 100

• Commercial fisheries – 52% of US catch G 0

0 3 7 9 1 3 5 7 9 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 • 1985 - Geoduck dive fishery 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 – The state’s second most important income producer and Year Alaska will continue to assure its sustainability • 1988 - Aquatic species import ban • Common property governs use of state fisheries • 1988 - Aquatic Farm Act land and water. • 1996 - Broadening Alaska’s Shellfish – Tidelands are state land, very little private land Farming Opportunities – Uplands are mostly federal, state, & Native corporation • 1996 - Littleneck clam fishery closure – Must acquire state leases for tidelands and uplands leases for land-based structures • 1997 - Shellfish hatchery Aquatic Farm Act 1988 • 2000 -Permitting denials over “It is the policy of the state to – Affects access to wild stock aquaculture opportunities encourage the establishment and because shellfish are common property common property provisions responsible growth of an aquatic farming industry …”

INITIAL PROPOSALS TO RESOLVE DEALING WITH THE COMMON COMMON PROPERTY ISSUE PROPERTY PROVISION • What about a native species that will not • Develop a way to grow benthic shellfish be a common property harvest? in suspended culture. • What about a species with a density too • Farm at site where there are no low to undergo a common property harvest? shellfish resources. • When does a species become eligible for • Differentiate your farmed shellfish from a common property harvest? the native species on the farm site. • What is aquaculture and when does it happen on a common property species?

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DEFINITION OF AQUACULTURE TWO CASE STUDIES • Littleneck clam • Positive control – Intertidal • Increase in productivity above that of the – Limited commercial fishery wild population (~ 17,000 lbs) – Very controversial – How can this be – Active sport and subsistence fisheries reasonably measured • Geoduck clam – Solution – Employ aquaculture techniques that are known to increase productivity – Subtidal • Predator exclusion – Extensive commercial fishery • Stocking the farm plot in southeast Alaska Photo from SARDFA • Extensive management – No sport or commercial fisheries

CLAM HARVEST AND SALES LITTLENECK CLAM

Littleneck • Common property solution 180,000 – Farm receives operational permit 160,000 Pounds – Common property harvest to 140,000 Income in dollars ) s r removed harvestable standing stock

a 120,000 l l o 100,000 • According to size regulations D (

s 80,000 d – All undersize clams are now n

u 60,000 o property of the farmer P 40,000 • Now under positive control to reach 20,000 market size 0

4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Year

Farming of geoduck clams started in 2002, no harvest

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GEODUCK CLAM PACIFIC OYSTERS

• Common property solution – Determination of significant stock size • Recently applied technique • Under 12,000 lbs per 6 acres (2,000 lb • Common property solution average per acre) is insignificant and – No common property issues farmer can harvest standing stock Photos from SARDFA • Security deposit – For farm replanting – Non-native species – $1.25 per geoduck harvested – Does not reproduce in Alaska – In the back with 20 days after harvest – Entirely hatchery produced seed – No wild or personal harvest Example Six acre farm site 3.00 lb average per geoduck Harvest sales 5000 lb $ 4.00 $ 2 0,000 Certification of deposit 1667 $ 1.25 $ 2 ,084 Net profit by farmers $ 1 7,916

TIDELANDS LEASING ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES RESPONSE • Supporting environmental organizations • Tidelands permitting – Blue Oceans – Application every odd year – Monterey Bay Aquarium (Jan-April) – Environmental Defense fund • Environmental codes of practice – Nine month to years of review • Conference • Confrontation • Regulations – Restricts growth unnecessarily – Protect critical habitat September 2001 – Protect eel grass impacts • Pre-approval of lease sites – Regional shellfish transport – Community bases program – Disease certification ALASKAN SHELLFISH GROWERS – Posting a bond ASSOCIATION TOTAL SITES STATEWIDE = 162 – Protects traditional use TOTAL ACREAGE AVAILABLE= 1346

CURRENTLY LEASING = 27 SITES Environmental Codes of Practice for the Alaska Shellfish Aquaculture Industry

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APPLIED RESEARCH AGE, GROWTH, AND SURVIVAL • Hatchery seed production OF LITTLENECK CLAMS – Essential for native species 40 -0.22 35 Lt = 49.1 = [ 1 – e ]

) 30

– 1997 starting year m 25 m (

h 20 Seven years of research t • New species g n 15 e

Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery L – Littleneck clam for the first cycle of 10 5 Market size – Basket cockle Littleneck clam Cockle growout research 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 – Purple hinge rock Age in years • Adapting methods Recruitment Low Moderate Heavy – Geoduck clam 30 S+ G+ $L S+ G+ $L S+ G+ $M 60 S+ G+ $M S+ G+ $M S+ G+ $H 90 S+ G+ $M S+ G+ $H S- G+ $L Intertidal growout S = Survival L = - $6,000 to +$7,000 studies G = Growth M = +$10,000 to Geoduck clam Rock scallop $ = Income $32,000 H = $40,000 +

GEODUCK CLAM GROWOUT WHERE WE ARE GOING

• First attempt – Tamgas Bay • Oceans Alaska • Planting 9/02 sampled 9/04 – Write a strategic business plan • Very high mortality – Create research, development, and – High predation training program – Garner support • Economic modeling – Identifying, measuring, and addressing constraints • Risk management – Financial management training for http://oceansalaska.org • Second attempt – Canoe Cove farmers • Planting 6/04 sampled 6/06 • Funding for this project was provided by Even if you're on the right the Washington State University Western track, you'll get run over if • Lower predation ( 21/41 at least Center for Risk Management Education, the Average shell length 18 months USDA Cooperative State Research Education you just sit there. Canoe Cove – 45.20 ± 5.48 mm one show) and Extension Service (CSREES), - Will Rogers Puget Sound, WA – 57.5 mm • Project ongoing

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