NOAA Fisheries News Releases
NEWS RELEASE
March 2, 2005
Sheela McLean
(907) 586-7032
NOAA Fisheries Service Publishes Final Rule on Alaska Crab Rationalization
NOAA Fisheries Service officials today announced publication of the final rule for ‘crab rationalization'--a new management system in Alaska's Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab fisheries. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is part of the Department of Commerce.
"This new program will increase efficiency in the industry, provide economic stability and reduce the number of boats competing for crab" said NOAA Fisheries Service Alaska Region Administrator Dr. James Balsiger. "Most importantly, fishermen will be safer on the water because they won't be pushed to race for crab in extreme weather."
Between 1990 and 1999, the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab fisheries averaged landings worth about $240 million annually. Since 2000, the value of the crab fisheries declined to averaged landings worth about $95 million annually, largely because of a decline in some crab populations.
The value of Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab is expected to grow under the rationalization program. Other rationalization programs, such as the American Fisheries Act pollock cooperatives and the halibut/sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Program, have resulted in more valuable, better managed, and safer North Pacific fisheries.
The new crab rationalization program allocates Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands king and Tanner crab fisheries resources not only to fishermen, but also to processors and to communities. However, no-one is part of the new program automatically. All must apply for their share of the valuable resource. The application period will start April 4, 2005. At that time, applications will be mailed to eligible vessel owners, processors, and crew, and will be available on the internet. A fisherman's qualification in the new program springs from a history of prior participation in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab fisheries. Applicable qualifying years vary for each individual crab fishery.
The application period will last until June 3, 2005. The final rule can be viewed at www.fakr.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/crab/crfaq.htm Inquiries about applications should go to (907) 586-7474.
Some communities may participate in the newly-rationalized Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab fisheries through the already-existing Community Development Quota Program or by forming non-profit entities to purchase quota share and processor quota share under the new regulations. Some communities will have the right of first refusal to purchase processors quota share that is for sale to a buyer outside of the community.
NOAA Fisheries Service's long-standing Community Development Quota Program, which distributes community development fishing quota among coastal towns in the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea, is expanded under this program. Currently 7.5% of the crab goes to certain coastal communities. Under the new crab rationalization program, 10% of the crab fishery will be allocated for Community Development Program quota groups.
Fishing crew members will be allocated 3% of crab individual fishing quota. Crew members will have to be on board when their share is being harvested.
The new program encourages crab harvesting cooperatives that can fish individual fishing quota collectively and cooperatively. A group of four or more distinct, separate quota share holders may come together to form a cooperative.
The ability to process a majority of the crab caught by the fishermen will be parceled out among the processors that operate in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, again based on their historic and recent processing of crab. The new crab rationalization program provides a mechanism to help processors and harvesters reach price agreement through an arbitration system.
To avoid participants holding excessive shares, the program limits the amount of harvester and processor quota that any one person can hold by establishing a series of use caps.
All fishing vessels in the rationalized fishery are required to have a vessel monitoring system, which uses satellite technology to report vessel locations. Fishermen will also report on many facts, including landed catch weight, and which species are caught, plus some economic date -- costs, revenues, ownership and employment.
Fishermen and processors will pay up to 3% of the ex-vessel value of the crab caught for fees to cover the actual costs of monitoring and enforcing the program and to fund a loan program.
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