By Jessica Farrish, The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Austin Caperton, a former member of Gov. Jim Justice’s administration and a Beckley businessman with a coal mining background, has founded and is launching Appalachian Salmon, a land-based aquaculture project that will provide the North American market with sustainably sourced Coho salmon.
Caperton announced Wednesday that the 20-acre aquaculture center will be constructed in Raleigh County and will use water from abandoned mines to hatch and nourish salmon.
The business, AS Holdings Inc. which is doing business as Appalachian Salmon, received a $5 million Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) grant, which was part of $24 million in grant funding announced by Gov. Justice.
AS Holdings Inc. is developing a project to raise salmon utilizing the water stored in the abandoned Maple Meadow Mine, according to the governor. The mine is located west of Beckley…
