Fisheries Topics Dominate SWAMC Economic Summit

Fisheries economists, processors and researchers are listed as speakers for the Feb 27-28, 2019 Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference’s (SWAMC) annual economic summit in Anchorage, Alaska. Topics will range from fish taxes to robotic seafood processing and changing ocean dynamics.

Garrett Evridge, a fisheries economist with the McDowell Group in Juneau, Alaska, will address how maximizing fisheries value goes far beyond the communities where the fish is harvested.

Jay Douglas, chief operating officer at Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing, in Pittsburgh, Pa., is slated to address the conference on use of robots in seafood manufacturing. Rob Anderson of the German firm Baader will speak about cutting edge fish processing technology, while Joyce Sidopoulos, co-founder of Mass Robotics, in Boston, Mass., will discuss collaborative robots to foster innovation in seafood handling.

Scientists from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and the University of Alaska will talk about fisheries in changing climate conditions. Tommy Sheridan, fleet manager for Silver Bay Seafoods, will discuss diversifying for value-added opportunities. Tim Sands, the Nushgak/Togiak area management biologist at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Dillingham, Alaska, will speak about his observations of the size and age of salmon populations in Bristol Bay.

The complete agenda for the conference, being held at the Hotel Captain Cook, is available online at https://swamc.org.