Santa Monica Seafood has donated $10,000 to support the Alaska King Crab Research, Rehabilitation and Biology Program, a part of Alaska Sea Grant, University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.
Santa Monica, a U.S. seafood distributor based in Rancho Dominguez, Calif., began its support of AKCRRAB in 2010, and has donated $10,000 annually to the research effort.
"We send our congratulations to the team at the Alaska King Crab Research Rehabilitation and Biology Program on the excellent progress made so far,” said Logan Kock, VP of strategic purchasing and responsible sourcing for Santa Monica Seafood. “We're excited to continue to be a part of their research efforts and we look forward to a bright future for Alaska red and blue king crab and for the people who depend on this important marine resource.”
AKCRRAB began in 2005 as a public-private partnership to develop the science and technology needed to culture wild king crab in a hatchery, and test the feasibility of hatcheries as a tool to rebuild low numbers of red and blue king crab in waters around Kodiak Island and the Pribilof Islands.
“We are delighted that Santa Monica Seafood continues to support the AKCRRAB program,” said Dave Christie, director of Alaska Sea Grant, one of the sponsors of the AKCRRAB research and co-chair of the AKCRRAB steering committee. “Santa Monica Seafood support has been instrumental in the success of the king crab hatchery research program. This year, researchers had one of the most successful hatching and rearing seasons to date for both red and blue king crab species.”
AKCRRAB is a partnership between Alaska Sea Grant, Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association, Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association, United Fishermen’s Marketing Association, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery and Chugach Regional Resources Commission and the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.
