Alaska Rethinks Salmon Farming Ban as U.S. Pushes Aquaculture Growth

Alaska is reopening a debate once thought untouchable in the State: salmon farming.

Governor Mike Dunleavy, who has long championed food security, surprised many in his state recently by suggesting that Alaska should also consider farming the fish.

“We could also be a leader in the farmed salmon industry. Why not do both instead of importing farmed salmon from Scotland?” he asked in a social media post that lit up political circles across the state.

As expected, critics rushed to condemn the idea, but once again, their opposition came without any science to back their claims.

But Dunleavy’s question reflects a broader truth: the United States is now pushing forward on ocean aquaculture while Canada, and particularly British Columbia, is moving to shut it down.

In Washington, D.C., momentum is building behind the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act , a bipartisan bill introduced by Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). It would, for the first time, create a federal framework for ocean aquaculture.