 October 02, 2003
Murkowski said the Metlakatla Indian Community, operators of the Annette Island Packing Co., will gain $701,000 to remodel a warehouse and install a freezer to better handle seafood harvesting in the community. The grant will remodel a warehouse so it can handle a new 3,600 square foot stainless steel freezer, including new piping, and a vibrating table, weighing table and two new forklifts to help with the handling of herring and salmon. "For years Metlakatla has been trying to upgrade its seafood plant so it can freeze product and not rely on off-island, often Canadian, freezing facilities. With this grant and Annette Island should be able to better handle deliveries of both herring and salmon and thus boost economic activity in the community," said Senator Murkowski. The EDA estimates that the investment should help create 146 new jobs in the community and also preserve 100 predominately fishing jobs on the island. The Petersburg Indian Association also received a grant of $39,000 to help it purchase equipment for composting fish, wood and biosolids to create a saleable product in Southeast. The Petersburg grant follows after the EDA last year gave the community a $2.3 million grant to improve the town's south boat harbor. Both of the grants were to
be released by Oct. 1. The grants fulfill part of a commitment
by the EDA to fund projects in coastal Alaska to help improve
the state's seafood industry, increase its efficiency and help
it better weather competition from farm-raised salmon.
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