The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has begun the process of reviewing portions of the crab rationalization program, and is discussing a draft report from the Crab Committee at its meeting that started Monday in Seattle.
The Crab Committee is made up of 14 industry and community stakeholders and has held a series of meetings since the resolution passed to review the program. The draft report is a result of those meetings, and reflects the diversity of opinions and range of concerns that accompany the issue. There are a few points of consensus, but many more of opposition.
Specifically, the committee is looking at the A/B shares, or 90/10 split, where 90 percent of the catch (A shares) is required to be sold to specific processors, and the arbitration system that is meant to ensure fair market value for the catch despite processors being guaranteed the opportunity to buy it.
The draft report lays out possible rationales for the council's action, the issues surrounding them, the pros and cons of each rationale statement, and the consensus reached by the committee. It covers a range of issues including B shares, arbitration and share matching issues, crew issues, processor consolidation issues, fleet consolidation issues and includes a number of problem statements and discussions for each.
The committee also discussed possible modifications to the 90/10 split, including the possibility of eliminating processor quotas altogether, although it was generally agreed that that was extremely unlikely. The report details the debates, including the possibility of compensation to processors and communities if the split is altered. One point of consensus was that no matter what action was taken, if any, it should be specific to the various crab fisheries, not a one-size-fits-all modification. The realities of the Bering Sea opilio fishery are not the same as those of the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery, which differ from the Aleutian brown king crab fishery.
The draft report is being presented to the council during the meeting currently taking place through Feb. 12. After the meeting, the committee will continue its work, continue to report to the council, and the council is expected to take action on the committee's recommendations in December. The committee's 11-page report, as well as other materials for the meeting currently in progress, can be found through the council's Web site at www.fakr.noaa.gov/npfmc/.
A five-year pilot program for Pacific Rockfish that began in 2007 in Kodiak has already yielded more value-added product, a drop in Kodiak's unemployment rate in May and June, improved catch retention and utilization, a dramatic drop in halibut bycatch, more fish delivered to on-shore processors, and an increase in the use of pelagic, or off-bottom, trawls.
Established by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the program eliminates the race for fish by allocating pounds to specific fishermen based on their catch history, and ties them to the processor they had delivered to prior to the program. There was also a provision to attract new entrants.
"In its first year, the pilot program was successful in slowing the pace of the fishery, improving product quality, reducing bycatch and giving a boost to the local economy," said Julie Bonney, executive director of the Alaska Groundfish Data Bank and manager of the cooperative fishery. "It shifted a significant part of the catch to off-peak months, avoiding conflicts with the salmon season and lowering unemployment on the island."
Like any new program, not everything was perfect the first year. The observer requirements were costly, and processors were surprised by initial market resistance to fresh rockfish. The price fishermen received, while higher than before, wasn't as much as some hoped.
"With any major change, you can't expect to achieve all benefits in the first year, but the participants in Kodiak's Rockfish Pilot Program are very pleased with the success of the cooperative fishery and look to build on that to achieve additional benefits for harvesters, processors and the broader community of Kodiak," Bonney said.
Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978. She also designs and builds gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and gillnets salmon in upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist. She can be reached at cristy-fry@excite.com.
