NOAA Fisheries News Releases
NEWS RELEASE
August 15, 2005
Sheela McLean
(907) 586-7032
First Rationalized Alaska Crab Fisheries Open
Two Aleutian Islands golden king crab fisheries opened today under a new management system designed to end the derby-style race that has characterized Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea crab fisheries, NOAA Fisheries officials announced today.
Forty-three persons or businesses hold fishing and/or processing quota for the eastern and western Aleutian golden king crab fisheries. Quota holders will be catching 2.4 million pounds of crab in the western fishery and 2.7 million pounds of crab in the eastern fishery during this 10-month season.
The State of Alaska will announce the total allowable catch for other newly-rationalized Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab fisheries in late September for the 2005/2006 season beginning October 15, 2005.
"Today begins the shake-down season on what is no doubt the most complicated and intricate fishery management system in this country, and perhaps the world. It was a stretch for this agency to get the rules written and published, to get the quota applications processed and the quota allocated, and to work with the state to develop and implement a new electronic reporting system in time for the golden king crab season," said Sue Salveson, Acting Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries in Alaska.
The new rationalized crab management program was designed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and enacted by Congress as an amendment to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in January 2004.
The previous management system encouraged fishermen to race for crab when the fishery opened, with the goal of maximizing their harvest before the fishery was closed. That system led to short and intense seasons, wasteful fishing practices, and fishing for crab in bad weather.
Under the new system, each participant is told before the season opens the amount of crab he or she may harvest or process; as a result, the fishermen can determine when to fish during the 10-month season to optimize their effort to meet market demands, improve safety, and improve product quality.
The new system encourages participants to form voluntary crab harvesting cooperatives that can fish individual fishing quota collectively and cooperatively. A group of four or more distinct, separate harvesting quota share holders may come together to form a cooperative. A total of six distinct cooperatives formed to fish the Aleutian Islands golden king crab fisheries.
Over time, because of the ability of participants to join cooperatives and purchase quota from other participants, the total number of participants and active vessels is expected to decline. In that way, the fisheries will be 'rationalized' to provide benefits to both those leaving the fishery and those remaining.
The biomass and harvest levels of Aleutian Islands golden king crab has been stable in the recent past and is expected to remain stable.
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources through scientific research, management, enforcement, and the conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and their habitat. To learn more about NOAA Fisheries in Alaska, please visit our website at www.fakr.noaa.gov