Sealaska shareholders are overwhelmingly favorable toward the company’s business platform focused on ocean health and environmental stewardship, according to the company’s 2021 shareholder survey. 

The survey, conducted by an independent research firm in April and May, was completed by nearly 5,000 of Sealaska’s 23,000 Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian shareholders in Southeast Alaska and beyond. More than 85% said they were very or fairly supportive of Sealaska’s business vision.  

The survey also showed shareholders hold a largely positive view of the company, with 76% rating themselves either somewhat or very positive toward Sealaska.  

“We are humbled by our shareholders’ support for our vision,” said Sealaska President and CEO Anthony Mallott. “Our emphasis on ocean health and improving our shareholder benefits come from a commitment to the values and belief systems of our ancestors. We are applying those values to modern problems, working across cultures with employees and partners who share our values and want to be part of the solution.” 

The survey was conducted online and by phone. Shareholders were asked to respond to a variety of questions about their priorities, understanding of Sealaska’s business vision and engagement with the company. 

In the two years since Sealaska last surveyed its shareholders, support for the work Sealaska is doing around ocean health has grown significantly. In 2019, 31% of shareholders said Sealaska was doing a good job at helping to address climate change; in 2021, that number rose to 50%.  

Since 2014, Sealaska has moved steadily to build out its ocean health business platform. Today, its businesses are grouped in three primary categories: food, which includes processing and retailing sustainably caught seafood from around the globe; land, which includes environmental remediation, groundwater cleanup and monitoring, and Sealaska’s carbon sequestration program; and water, which includes marine monitoring and clean up, along with offshore and coastal infrastructure development, seismic testing, and support for clean-energy technologies like offshore wind and tidal. 

The survey included several opportunities for shareholders to share their opinions in their own words. Support for environmental protection, traditional harvesting and subsistence priorities and rural economic development were prominent. 

Shareholders shared the following comments on Sealaska’s business vision and focus on sustainable, Native-led community economic development.