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By Karen Gillis, Executive DirectorBering Sea Fishermen's Association

A Shot Across the Bow

We are in extraordinary times and I think we’re allrealizing that Alaska’s economic position is moreprecarious than ever. We must ask ourselves importantquestions, like: Who are we? What are we capable ofachieving? How will we manage these excruciatingeconomic pressures? For my part, I am certain the AlaskaOcean Cluster program's job is undeniably moreimportant now than we thought a mere 8 weeks ago. Thecoronavirus pandemic has changed almost everything wethought we knew about the future of Alaska. As uncertainas it was, due to our somnambulant and indulgentreliance on oil and gas as our only true economic lifeline,it is far less certain now. But, that’s just it… what is certainnow? continued on page 2

A Shot Across the Bowcont'd - 2 Blue Pipeline GraduateSuccess - 2 Snapshot: Alaska OceanCluster - 3 Upcoming Events - 4 Can Sustainable BlueFinancing Save OurWaters? - 5 Announcements - 6 Special Thank Yous - 7

WHAT'S INSIDE THISISSUE?

ALASKA OCEAN

CLUSTER

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A Shot Across the Bow continued It is certain, we must not just think it’s a good idea to coalesce and strengthen Alaska’s oceaneconomy, we must fully invest in the strategy. It is certain, we will be successful by expanding and supporting Alaska’s small businesses;they are the nerve center of a strong economy. It is certain, a stable state economy requires the cooperation of businesses who sometimesfind it uncomfortable to work together but it is also certain that comfort is a luxury and besidethe point when the primary concern is providing our children with living wages, plentiful jobsand thriving business sectors. I encourage you to step up, join our mission and lend your talents to strengthen the systemsand resources on which we all rely on. Finding collective solutions that work for us, ourneighbors and our communities is no longer an elective exercise for Alaska - it is anurgent imperative. Let us rise to the occasion together, in contrast to previous behavior andwork to ensure Alaskans are empowered to strengthen and invest in Alaska. Changing the construct of Alaska’s floundering economy requires conscious discipline andAlaska Ocean Cluster is writing the playbook.

Blue Pipeline GraduateSuccess: Sunny CoveKayakingBlue Pipeline graduate Stephanie Millaneand her business Sunny Cove Kayakingwere one of 150 businesses nationwideaccepted into the Goldman Sachs 10,000Small Businesses.The program is an investment to helpentrepreneurs create jobs and economicopportunity by providing access toeducation, capital and business supportservices. Congratulations Sunny CoveKayaking! For more info on Sunny Cove Kayaking:www.sunnycove.com

photo credit: Sunny Cove Kayaking

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For three years now, Alaska Ocean Cluster has championed efforts to develop, diversify, andstrengthen Alaska’s blue economy. Our continued work will increase the economy providedfrom the bounty of our ocean, providing opportunities across Alaska and is fully circular,sustainable, socially responsible, growing, and provides us with healthy food, healthy ingredients,and materials, while maintaining a healthy diverse environment. Our core values include, innovation, value adding and creation, social economic development,and environmental conservation and investment. We’re providing a quadruple impact burstingwith powerful and lasting benefits for Alaska at a time when Alaska needs it most. In 2019, we narrowed our aperture into four areas; mariculture, adding value,entrepreneurship, and outreach. Our mariculture strategy supports community-based mariculture as an economic driver incoastal Alaska. Our value-added efforts include; opening pathways toward development of biotech research inAlaska, supporting research and development that increases fisheries utilization rates,collaborating in R&D in renewable and biofuel energy, and reducing fish waste which will createpathways for adding value. Entrepreneurship is a prominent component in Alaska’s economy and our efforts supportbusiness creation and incubation to catalyze and cultivate scalable, innovative ocean relatedbusinesses in Alaska. Ocean Cluster’s flagship outreach program is Ocean Tuesday, our weekly webinar that provides astage for businesses, government agencies, and the support sector to present to a wide audience,often including international presenters and listeners. Alaska Ocean Cluster round tablediscussions have been successful as well. They give us the opportunity to go to acommunity to discuss economic development and entrepreneurship opportunities thatincrease awareness, build/support the entrepreneurial spirit, and make connections betweenremote entrepreneurs and business leaders an opportunity. Although 2020 has gotten off to a sequestered start, we are building off past successes. Thisyear will see advances in mariculture expansion in Alaska, especially in seaweed farming andthe workforce development necessary for its growth. By collaborating with industry partners tofocus on creating more value from our fisheries through research and development, identifyingnew products from unused waste products we’ll introduce new markets, and improve processingefficiencies to drive down costs and bottom-lines up. continued on page 4

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Snapshot: Alaska Ocean ClusterBy: Craig Fleener, Program ManagerAlaska Ocean Cluster

Our entrepreneurship program is expanding, providing more areas in Alaska to participate inour highly successful Blue Pipeline Incubator. Additionally, we are developing a Blue Fund, furthersupporting growth in Alaska’s entrepreneurship opportunities. 2020 will see us taking a giant leap towards building a brick and mortar structure to support thegrowth of Alaska’s ocean economy, the Alaska Ocean Cluster House. Our vision is that the OceanCluster House serve as the hub of ocean economic development for Alaska. To do this we will alsodevelop lines of access for a virtual Ocean Cluster House to ensure that ocean industryentrepreneurs and businesses across remote Alaska have access to our services. All our programs will work in the Ocean Cluster House as the epicenter connectingentrepreneurs, businesses, research and knowledge to create synergies within Alaska’s oceanindustries. We will offer a wide range of services and invest resources in new maritime businessesand projects. We will provide business incubation, office space, co-working space, officenecessities, and support staff. The ultimate objective is to create a community that can interactwith like-minded ocean sector representatives under one roof. If you are not already a part of our Ocean Cluster community, we invite you to join an OceanTuesday to hear and see what’s going on in your industry across Alaska, the United States, andworld. Also, consider joining the Alaska Ocean Cluster as a member. Membership has manybenefits including access to our global network, entrepreneurship support, community support,business round tables, to the Ocean Cluster House and soon access to investment opportunities.

The future is blue and it's starting today.

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Snapshot: Alaska Ocean Cluster continued

Upcoming EventsMay 21, 2020 - 2020 Angel Conference

May 31, 2020 - Path to Prosperityapplications due

June 8, 2020 - Launch Alaskaapplications due

June 9 -11, 2020 - Capitol HillOcean Week

June 12-13, 2020 - Bristol Bay Fish Expo

Written by Bjarni Herrera, CEO & Co-Owner CIRCULAR Solutions

Can Sustainable andBlue Financing HelpSave Our Waters?

It is no secret that the world’s oceans are in trouble- a global economy estimated at USD 1.5 trillion.Overfishing has led UNESCO and the World Bank toestimate that over 90% of all fisheries are consideredto be overexploited and 13% of the global fish stockhas ‘collapsed’.  If significant action is not taken by the year 2050, itis expected that 80% of all oceans will be disrupted byclimate change, the ocean acting as a carbon and heatsink causing acidification and warming waters. And,as the ocean’s fish stocks rapidly decline, the ocean’splastic stock is flourishing - in 2025 there will be onemetric tonne for every three of fish. To tackle these challenges, blue financing has beenintroduced as a new type of investments intended tofund numerous potential projects, activities, andsolutions which are beneficial to our oceans. Bluebonds, one type of such financing, are a new memberof the labelled bond family, i.e. green, social andsustainable bonds. Blue financing is intended to fund projects such asthe sustainable use and protection of water andmarine resources, the transition to the circulareconomy, eco-efficient products, pollutionprevention and control, sustained livelihood ofcommunities, climate mitigation and adaptation, andmore. Certain requirements need to be fulfilled,however, when labelling such funding blue, includingdefining the use and management of proceeds,describing the project evaluation and selection, andreporting and external verifications.

View Bjarni's full OceanTuesday presentation:Alaska Ocean Cluster

Learn more about CIRCULARSolutions:

www.circularsolutions.is

Learn more about BlueFinancing:

www.circularsolutions.is

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Alaska Ocean Cluster is always lookingfor your feedback. Whether you have atopic or presenter that you would like tosee featured on an upcoming OceanTuesday, if you would like to share yourown new and exciting work, or if you have colleagues that you think couldbenefit from attending Ocean Tuesday,we would love to hear from you! There are many ways you can show yoursupport for the Alaska Ocean Cluster,some of the more powerful ways, such asliking a social media post, subscribing toour YouTube page or even sharing ourcontent across your own social mediaplatforms are ABSOLUTELY FREE!

We Are Hiring!

Our Blue Pipeline Incubator (BPI) program is inneed of a Manager based out of Seward, Alaska.This is a blended position made possible through apartnership between the Ocean Cluster, the City ofSeward, the Seward Chamber of Commerce, andthe Small Business Development Center (SBDC).The BPI Manager will oversee all operations of theincubator, act as a liaison to Seward's ocean-basedindustries, and provide SBDC business advisingservices to Seward-based business. For more information, please visit the Alaska OceanCluster website: alaskaoceancluster.com

How Can You Engage?

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Become a SponsorOcean Tuesday is offering sponsorshipopportunities! Your monthly sponsorship, a very nominalfee, will include a sponsor slide and personalhighlight and thank you on our weekly OceanTuesday Program as well as promotions onthe Alaska Ocean Cluster social mediaplatforms, a sponsor slide on our YouTubevideos and a feature in our Alaska OceanCluster newsletter. If you are interested in becoming a sponsoror would like more information pleasecontact casey@alaskaoceancluster.com.

A Special Thank You To...

Our Sponsors:

Ocean Tuesday Alumni:

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