Greg and Weatherly Bates clean and sort mussels at their shellfish farm in Halibut Cove on Wednesday, October 22, 2015.
The winners, collectively known as the Alaska Mariculture Cluster, plan to use the grant to fund projects ranging from workforce development to green energy improvements. The White House awarded the grant last week as part of a $1 billion federal competition for a portion of American Rescue Plan funds, in which local initiatives could apply for money to promote regional economies.
In 2016, former Gov. Bill Walker, an independent, established the Alaska Mariculture Task Force to recommend developments in the field. The task force’s 2018Southeast Conference and other Alaska Mariculture Cluster members wrote in athat they hope the industry will reach that goal in 10 years and be worth $325 million in 20 years. The cash infusion could also help the Alaska mariculture industry create 1,800 jobs to support the growing sector in the next two decades, according to the statement.