“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 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries in Alaska.
The rationalization program encourages participants to form voluntary crab harvesting cooperatives that can fish IFQs 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, according to NOAA Fisheries. In that way, the fisheries will be “rationalized” to provide benefits to both those leaving the fishery and those remaining. In addition, the fishing histories of 25 boats were bought out last year by a federal loan to be repaid via a landing tax collected from remaining fishermen.
In addition to being the first crab fishery under the rationalization program, the golden king crab season will also serve as the pilot fishery for a brand new electronic fishing data reporting system, according to federal and state fishery managers in Alaska. The new system moves Alaska fisheries reporting into the modern era, leaving behind paper fish tickets and consolidating the reporting requirements of NOAA Fisheries, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the International Pacific Halibut Commission.
“Once we’ve switched over, reporting will be more efficient, more accurate and probably less expensive,” NOAA’s Salveson said. “The new system is intended to remove reporting duplications, making life more straightforward for fishermen, processors and managers.”
“Up to now, we have relied upon carbon copies to report harvests worth billions of dollars from Alaska’s fisheries,” said David Bedford, deputy commissioner at the Department of Fish and Game, in a press release. “Given technological advancements, it seems both timely and appropriate that we move from carbon copies to computers to assist us in collecting this important data.”
Bristol Bay red king crab, Bering Sea snow (opilio) crab, Bering Sea bairdi tanner crab, Pribilof Islands red and blue king crab, St. Matthew blue king crab and western Aleutian Island red king crab fisheries also will eventually come into the new electronic reporting system. Plans are under way to expand the new electronic reporting system in 2006 to include reported data collected in the Alaska federal and state groundfish fisheries, and in the halibut fishery.
Proposals for the 2005-2006 Board of Fisheries meetings are now available online. Topics include suggested changes to the subsistence, personal use, sport, guided sport and commercial finfish regulations for the Prince William Sound, Southeast Alaska and Yakutat management areas. In addition, all Dungeness crab, shrimp and miscellaneous shellfish fisheries are included. To view the proposals, meeting calendar and agendas, go to http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/fishinfo/index.php.
Printed copies of the proposals will be mailed to all advisory committee members, legislators and interested members of the public. Printed copies will also be available at each meeting. To request a printed copy, contact Board of Fisheries staff at (907) 465-4110.
As salmon fisheries wind down around the state, halibut landings are picking up, with 74 percent of the statewide quota caught so far. Prices in Homer remain in the $3-$3.50 per pound range depending upon the size of fish. Area 3A, which includes Cook Inlet, has 25 percent of its quota remaining. Homer leads the state in pounds across the dock, with 19 percent of the statewide total, followed by Kodiak with 13 percent and Seward with 12 percent.
Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978, and has also designed and built gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and sablefish, and gillnets salmon in Upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist.
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