Embargo Period

8-6-2025

Degree Name

MA in Sustainable Development

First Advisor

Joseph W. Lanning

Abstract

This research project asks how the growing commercial aquaculture industry in Ketchikan, Alaska, functions to alleviate or exacerbate local food insecurity; reinforce or undermine food sovereignty among Indigenous communities, and enhance or restrict community participation in the control of marine resources. Global initiatives have responded to food insecurity through agricultural inputs and technology to create higher yields; however, conventional agricultural production has contributed to and is increasingly vulnerable to climate change. To address higher demands for food, government agencies and development experts have looked towards Blue Growth and aquaculture as a solution for food insecurity and environmental concerns. While aquaculture is often promoted as a tool for combatting food insecurity and enhancing climate resilience, its expansion in Alaska has been largely state-driven, raising concerns about who benefits and who is excluded. This study employs a qualitative approach, integrating literature reviews and seven semi-structured interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members. Data suggests that food insecurity in Ketchikan stems not from local resource scarcity, but rather from high costs of imported food, limited local infrastructure, and regulatory barriers to harvesting. Participants voiced both excitement for the industry and concerns about rapid growth, fearing that commercialization could burden local subsistence harvesters and alter access to traditional foods and spaces. This study contributes to broader debates about the social dimensions of blue growth and argues that aquaculture can support food justice only if it incorporates community-based management and is culturally and ecologically relevant.

Disciplines

Agriculture | Food Studies | Growth and Development | Indigenous Studies | Social Justice

Download

Share

Image Location

 
COinS