The Myths and Realties of Oyster Farming in Alaska

Some people have romantic notions of oyster farming in Alaska. In the spirit of truth in advertising, it seems necessary to separate the myths from reality.

• Myth #1: Oyster farmers get to work outdoors in scenic Alaska wilderness.

  Reality: While it is true we get to work outdoors, it will often be in extremely wet, cold and windy conditions among swarms of insects, bears and other creatures whoíd like nothing more than to eat you alive.

• Myth #2: You'll be creating an independent business with a steady income in rural Alaska.

  Reality: You'll need an inheritance, outside income, huge savings account or investors with no bottom line to develop a subsistence-level income. Keep in mind you'll be moving a highly perishable product at the highest freight rates this side of NASA's shuttle flights.

• Myth #3: You'll take a farmer's pride in producing some of the world's finest seafood from seed to the dinner plate.

  Reality: Well, yes, but what this really means is that you'll work the hours of a Dustbowl sharecropper for about the same wage.

• Myth #4: Oyster farmers live a rustic lifestyle in the Alaska wilderness.

  Reality: This is absolutely true! You'll enjoy the damp, dark, cold world of walltents, derelict fishing vessels, and ramshackle floathomes. No flushing toilets, running water, electricity, t.v. or telephones. Here's what you'll have: monthly laundry runs, weekly mail planes (weather providing, of course), marine radio conversations where half of the fishing fleet listens in, and entertainment courtesy of distant a.m. Christian radio stations.

• Myth #5: You'll get back to a simple life and leave the hubbub world behind.

  Reality: Welcome to the new millennium. Oyster farming today means wrestling with miles of red tape involved in obtaining land use and seafood processing permits. You'll need permits from the Alaska Departments of Fish and Game, Environmental Conservation and Natural Resources, some of which take more than a year to secure. You also may need permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Forest Service or Fish and Wildlife Service. In the end, you'll become intimately familiar with an alphabet soup of government acronyms, such as HACCP, ISSC, NSSP, MMPA, and ACMP.