“In the shellfish hatchery world, every day brings something new. And shellfish farmers are the neatest people you’ll ever meet. No one cares more about the environment than we do.”
That sums up why Jeff Hetrick has spent the last 25 years raising shellfish. But surprisingly, Jeff got into shellfish farming almost by accident.
Jeff and his wife Rose came to Alaska in the mid-80s where Jeff worked for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. In 1986, he proposed a research project to determine if oysters would grow in Prince William Sound. When the funding fell through, Jeff — who has a bachelor’s degree in biological science and a masters degree in business — decided to start his own oyster farm.
That’s how it all began.
Over the next 20 years, Jeff ran his shellfish farm, managed a state salmon hatchery, helped start three oyster farms, developed a flupsy nursery (“a fancy way of growing juvenile shellfish”), ran a pilot shellfish hatchery, and managed a littleneck clam enhancement program.
Jeff is currently the director of the Alutiq Shellfish Hatchery near Seward where he grows oysters and geoduck seed for shellfish farmers, raises clams to restock beaches, and conducts research on news species.
“I truly believe in aquaculture,” says Hetrick. “The potential in Alaska is incredible, and with that potential comes huge opportunities.”
The Hetricks’ oldest daughter has followed in Jeff’s footsteps — to a point. She works in aquaculture, but decided to pursue a career in Hawaii where it’s a little warmer than Seward, Alaska.