Bearing Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour - for YOU

Greetings Fishies!


I have some exciting news to share with you!

The F/V Aleutian Ballad is now booking the adventure that you have all been waiting for. From their website:

The Fishing Vessel Aleutian Ballad will set sail in the calm protected seas of southeast Alaska. A journey that will give her passengers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Alaska's commercial fishing from the deck of a seasoned vessel. It is the same vessel seen on the Discovery Channel's popular Deadliest Catch program, modified for your complete safety and comfort.

The experience is so real that you can touch and hold a KING CRAB in your hands. Have you picture taken with this, or one of the other fascinating creatures, as they are pulled from the rich Alaskan water!

Knowledgeable fisherman and guides will share with you their vibrant way of life. Stories from those who have learned the harsh and treacherous lessons of the Bering Sea and survived to harvest a plentiful catch bound for markets around the world.

As lines are pulled up, you will see why the waters surrounding Alaska have been described as an undersea paradise. Under the currents and waves that shield them from view, a wealth of species abound. Those brought to the surface will be placed in a live tank for observation, retained or gently released back into the wild.

You can read more about this exciting development at their well done website:

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour - Ketchikan Alaska: Home

And just remember you heard it HERE first!

Stay tuned!

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Newport Skipper Arrested For BUI

Greetings Fishies!

Here is something interesting from the US Coast Guard and news sources:

People partying aboard the fishing vessel Starrigavin received an unwelcome surprise when they were greeted by Coast Guard and Oregon State Patrol officials Saturday as they returned to Newport, Ore.

Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay received a call at 7:45 p.m., on Christmas, that people were drinking aboard the 58-foot fishing vessel Starrigavin. One news station reported that it was a crew member who made the call.

Station Yaquina Bay contacted Oregon State Patrol who joined two Coast Guard members at the Pacific Shrimp pier in Newport. Police officials administered a field sobriety test to the ship's master upon arrival of the vessel. The 23-year-old male registered .13 for alcohol content and was taken into custody.

A subsequent boarding by Coast Guard members uncovered several safety violations for which the ship's master was cited.

A drug or alcohol boat operator who is arrested for Boating Under the Influence of Intoxicants faces the following:

• could face fines of up to $6,250 and up to one year in jail
• must complete a boating safety class
• lose his or her boat operation privileges for a period of time
• have boat registrations suspended for up to three years

One account states that there were no crew members aboard the vessel when the citation was issued. I do not know if this boat had been under way when the call came in, or simply tied to the dock. None of the news accounts gives any information on that.

Something fishy here....

Stay tuned!

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A TimeBandit Tidbit & Underwater Film Footage - Finally!

Merry Christmas Fishies!

I ran across this information and was quite certain that you would enjoy it. From the sounds of this, the Discovery Channel has listened to your pleas regarding underwater footage. That's a GOOD thing!

Dennis Scro of Boothbay, Maine has been hired by a Burbank, California production company; (Original Productions?) to head to Dutch Harbor, Alaska this winter to film undersea sequences for the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" TV series.

Scro, who has been in the undersea industry for 30 years, is leading a team of American and Canadian undersea experts who will spend seven days off St. Paul Island, in the Bering Sea on board the 115-foot F/V TimeBandit.

"We will be traveling 30 hours offshore from Dutch Harbor to film a fishing vessel lost during a past episode, film Ophelia crab pots (spelling as found) on bottom and perhaps film a concentration of king crabs in their habitat. The producers will incorporate undersea footage into the series.”

According to Scro, the team will be equipped with “The DeepWorker 2000, a state-of the-art submersible that has a shooting schedule working in 300-1000-foot ocean depths. HDTV cameras and special HMI lighting will provide stunning sub sea imaging.”

In addition, a Sub-Atlantic remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with multiple cameras and manipulators will be readied for weather days when the sub may not be able to be deployed. The ROV is capable of operating in ocean depths to 5000 feet.

"This is a relatively shallow water project for the seasoned team of undersea experts. Our challenges will be hatched on the Bering Sea, where weather conditions can easily whip up 30-40-foot seas and cause ice havoc aboard the vessel. Our team will need to be extra vigilant, hope for the best shooting conditions, and be prepared for the worst," Scro said.

He has been involved in commercial projects for National Geographic, the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. He was involved in the analysis of lost WWII warship vessels in several oceans where the undersea teams deployed real time video feeds from the deep ocean depths which were transmitted by satellite live into Washington, D.C. He has also worked with undersea specialists under government contract to the Navy.

Mike Rowe, host of The Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" will be in Dutch Harbor for part of the mobilization as will the Deadliest Catch production company president. The second season of "Deadliest Catch" was a big success for Discovery, emerging as one of the network's highest-rated series and scoring a pair of Primetime Emmy Award nominations plus a Creative Emmy Nomination. Season three begins production this fall and is scheduled to air in spring 2007.

From an article by Joe Orchulli Ii in The Boothbay Register

Stay tuned - a bundle of "just too juicy" items will be coming your way!

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A Blessed Christmas and a Seafod New Year

Hello Fishies!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

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PS Make sure you have a good variety of sea food on your Holiday table! Yum!

Crab Sharecroppers?

Hello Fishies!

What follows is from an article appearing in the Daily World about a week ago. While it is a bit dated, as in the season has begun, the information is still very relevant and will help you to understand what the boats go through.

“None of the major packers have made an offer we can live with, even though the market is much stronger than last year,” said Toste, head of the Washington Dungeness Crab Fishermen’s Association. “It appears the entire coastal fleet will remain tied up until the packers make a reasonable offer and quit treating the fishermen like sharecroppers.”

Toste said there are “some small, independent buyers who are willing to pay a reasonable price for the crab, but they are not capable of handling much product and they live in fear of market reprisal by the major packers when they buy and sell.”

Both coastal tribal communities and the department tested crabs in Long Beach and Westport in October to determine the meat recovery rate, said Reed, of the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“Meat pick-out” testing determines the percentage of meat in the crab and the state requires that 23 percent of the crab’s weight be in meat, Reed said. Tribal fleets are not bound by the state requirement and are able to choose their own percentages, she said.

The department tested Long Beach again in November and found the crabs met the requirement and were ready for harvest. The department could not test Westport again in November due to harsh weather, so it applied the findings in the first Westport test against Long Beach’s rate to project how much the Westport crabs had grown.

The projection “indicated those crabs were a little behind the crabs off Long Beach in their recovery,” Reed said. The crabs are expected to reach the 23 percent standard in early December, she said.

Overall, Toste said the fishermen are uncertain of how they should proceed with the season.

“The decisions made by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife affecting our seasons are drawing a lot of criticism from Washington fishermen,” he said. He said these decisions are creating feelings of “frustration, anxiety and uncertainty.”

The staggered season is “not giving us much bargaining power” with the packers on the price per pound, Toste said. “Washington fishermen are in a very bad position to market fairly because only a small area opens on Dec. 1,” he said.

He said the price negotiations are affecting well over 1,000 boats and estimates that upwards of 10,000 people are affected when the fisherman don’t bring in their crab, including crabbers, processors, supply companies, support staff and the families of all those workers.

“No one knows what to do,” he said. “We are just dying here with anxiety and frustrations. This is the worst anyone has seen in the crab industry for 40 years.”

Reed and Toste agree that Dungeness crab fishing is vital to Washington State. “It is an amazing and valuable fishery,” Reed said. “It is good for the state of Washington and very important to coastal communities.”

There are about 30 to 40 boats in the tribal fleet and 228 in the non-tribal fleet, according to Reed and Toste.

Stay tuned.

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F/V Ash Sinks Off Oregon Coast

Greetings Fishies.


Sad news today. From the Associated Press:

"A fishing boat sank at the mouth of the Rogue River on Saturday with three men aboard, officials said. The Coast Guard was searching for the crew of the Ash, a 43-foot boat from Port Orford that overturned at about 3:40 p.m. A 47-foot rescue boat crew from Station Chetco River was joined by two HH-65 helicopters. A life raft was spotted but no crew members were aboard, according to a Coast Guard spokesman in Seattle."

Stay tuned.

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And They're Off - Sort Of....

"We're starving. I've got my credit cards maxed out. I'm coming off of a terrible, nonexistent salmon season. I'm broke." That is a quote from a fisherman down in Newport, Oregon.

Meanwhile, the guys are frustrated that the strike has made the fishery dangerous as it finally begins. The fleet makes most of its money during the first two months of the season, so the boats are more likely to race out in marginal weather when it's delayed. And that has certainly been the case. Prior to the storm lashing delivered by Mother Nature this week, some brave or foolish souls – you can chose which you think applies – hit the ocean and started setting gear.

The severe weather visited upon the west coast saw seas of over 40 feet, and wind gusts of over 100 mph. That creates havoc with both the gear and the boats. When the seas are that big, the wave action and currents can drag the crab pots for dozens of miles. Along the way they come upon one another, wrapping their buoy line and floats tight against each other until they are a ball of crab gear varying in numbers from 2 to 500.

Next, weather conditions were so dangerous that Coast Guard commands up and down the coast deemed most river bar crossings too dangerous and closed the bars to all traffic. This led nearly one hundred freighters to “jog in place” in the ocean, near to the crossings, catching up crab gear with every turn, creating their own gear wads and at times cutting the pots free from their buoys. Gear washes into the ocean going tug lanes and is dragged or cut off.

These crab gear wads are a serious danger to navigation and to the fishing grounds as well. Each fully rigged crab pot is worth approximately $175, and the loss of fishing that pot can be in the tens of thousands. As the crab boats try to maneuver among the set gear, they can run into these wads, severely damaging their hulls, propellers and possibly endangering their lives.

Next comes the issue of "stuck" gear. The crab pots, weighted with heavy iron bars so they will stay in line, become filled with muck and silt. The boats then must "pump" on the gear. They use a huge hose with a custom made nozzel to try to free the gear, pulling with their hydraulics. It is a very dangerous exercise.

Well today the ocean appeared to be “coming down” and the boats that did not already set gear, or still had more gear to get out, are on their way. That is of course, with the exception of the boats that are electing or are forced to wait it out in order to fish above the 13 mile limit.

Those guys are broke and hungry too.

December 16 and there is almost no non-tribal crab yet on the market. The weather for the time set aside for the original pre-soak was good. The weather for the first week of the non-tribal crab season was spectacular.

Nice. Real nice.

Stay tuned.

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You Give 13 Miles and What do You Get?

Hello Fishies!

To paraphrase an old song – the 13 miles is what was given to dungeness crabbers. That is the 13 southernmost miles of Washington State’s 140 miles of coastline. Thanks can be given to the negotiations between the state and the Quinault Indian Nation. The 13 miles are from the Washington-Oregon border north to Klipsan Beach, along the Long Beach Peninsula, as well as Willapa Bay. The Oregon and California coasts will be completely open.

Once the rest of the coast is open to the non-tribal fleet, those fishermen who crabbed the 13 miles that open on Dec. 1, will be able to fish an additional five miles up to Oysterville 10 days after the start date. They will have to then wait an additional 30 days to fish the rest of the coast. Washington crabbers who use permits to crab in Oregon and California will also have to wait those additional days.

The agreement that was finally reached, calls for a 40 day head start for the tribe, which was December 1. This will put the start date for non-tribal fishermen at about January 10, nearly 6 weeks after our traditional opening date and long past the Christmas and New Year market. Gee, maybe we will be able to get you folks crab for your Super Bowl parties.

According to Ray Toste, president of the Washington Dungeness Crab Fishermen’s Association, Westport crabbers had “no voice” in the process of starting the season, and said the issues were the most complex he’s seen in 40 years spent crabbing. Toste is a fishermen who lives in Westport.

“In the last 3 or 4 years, the whole coast - or major portions of the northern coast - were closed because of quality issues. But this is the first time that crab were ready to go when the season opened, and it was the first time the state had to directly deal with the tribal problem. It’s got the entire fishing industry in disarray. This is a real mess.”

Crab fishermen are more than a little frustrated with the way the season is being laid out by the state Department of Fish & Wildlife.

According to Heather Reed, from the State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, “There are two main management tools that the state uses to ensure the non-tribal and tribal fleets each get 50 percent of the harvest. One is the length of the head start the tribal fleet gets. The other is the amount of time “special management areas” are closed to the non-tribal fleet. Both of those issues were being negotiated.

"Once a start date is confirmed for the tribal fleet, the tribes will be able to fish in their “usual and accustomed areas” and make use of their head start. The Quinault Nation’s area is from Point Chehalis at Westport, north to Destruction Island.

"The state’s objective is to put these management tools in place to provide the tribal fleet with the opportunity to harvest 50 percent. The state has already reached an agreement with the Quileute and Makah tribes."

The state Department of Fish & Wildlife sent a letter to coastal Dungeness crab fisherman on Nov. 22, and in it the department estimates that the coastline from Klipsan Beach to the U.S.-Canada border will be open to the non-tribal fleet between Jan. 1-15, at least a month later than the traditional opening date and after the lucrative holiday market. The start date in this stretch will be finalized once the Quinault and Makah tribes complete their head start.

The stretch from Destruction Island to Sand Point will open on Jan. 16 according to the state’s agreement with the Quileute tribe.

Non-Indian, non-tribal, non-treaty = non-fisherman.

Stay tuned.

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Boat Gossip

Hello Fishies!

I have been away and unable to dispel some false information. Thankfully someone has set a few of you straight. Despite the claims that certain posters are “good friends” with the guys on the show, nothing could be further from the truth. And, tsk tsk tsk, don’t believe everything you read just because it's on a certain forum or by some one claiming to be inside the industry.

The Cornelia Marie is most definitely not Opilio crabbing – the crab itself is not ready for harvest. However, the rumor mill, and believe me fishermen are tremendous gossips, has Capt. Phil in terrific need of an ego adjustment. Might not be enough room in the wheel house for both……

Dave Millman has recovered handily from his ankle injury and is at home in Hawaii with his wife and kids.

Hiram did not crew for any boat during the king crab season. If my information is correct, he is currently working construction.

Mike Fourtner is crewing aboard the Icy Mist for Pacific cod. He is not expected to return to the Time Bandit. The Hillstrand brothers will be performing most of the crew duties themselves for the oplio season.

Captain Corky, who skippers the Aleutian Ballad, is currently waiting out the Dungeness crab mess in Washington state. He is the owner of the Watchman, sister ship to the Maverick. I do not believe the Aleutian Ballad has any opilio quota to catch.

The dungeness crab season has the captain of the Maverick in limbo. While Capt. Rick has plenty of bairdi crab to catch, Capt. Blake will be busy again this year running his family boat for dungeness. If he has a late start again this year, you may not see him for opies.

I have been unable to run down information regarding the post about the Northwestern being run upon any rocks.

Stay tuned!

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Test Price?

Hello Fishies!

The weather is good, the crabs are healthy and the Christmas and New Year's market is just about upon us. We fishermen are confused as to why seafood buyers - led by mega-processor Pacific Coast Seafood Co. (or P Coast) - won't budge on the price. Since this company buys the majority of the crab, other processors generally follow the company's lead.

All of the sudden P Coast has agreed to $1.60 per pound - 25 cents less than California crabbers are getting this year. But not until a new round of testing. These tests determine how well the crab have filled in their shells. Recent state testing has already shown that the crabs were fine. Hmmm…wonder why?

Crab shed their shells or “molt” every year. This allows them to grow. The states collect crab and test them to assure that the crab are in fact full in the shell and ready to be harvested.

According to a recent newspaper article, Brent Searle, special assistant to the director of the Department of Agriculture, was puzzled over the demand for more testing. The Dept. of Ag “oversees” the negotiations between crabbers and processors. This is so the different fishermen’s groups can barter without violating federal antitrust laws.

Searle is further quoted as saying, "The state tests did yield in most areas the highest fill-out of any tests in history. One of the processors (Pacific) does have the capacity to hold supply ... but we don't have any data on the company's inventory. There's been a lot of time and effort spent refining the state tests and that still doesn't seem to give the processors enough confidence in what the tests are saying."

Every year we are allowed to “set” our crab gear approximately three days ahead of the season opener. This pre-season soak time allows crab to gather in the pots so that when the season opens there is something to catch. The weather for the pre-season set time was good. One week into the open season, the weather has been perfect. Now P Coast allows the processors to raise the price and the boats to go – and the weather forecast is not good.

This is still a derby fishery. Everyone will go fishing, regardless of the weather.

Stay tuned.

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Hello Fishies!

The weather is good, the crabs are healthy and the Christmas and New Year's market is just about upon us. We fishermen are confused as to why seafood buyers - led by mega-processor Pacific Coast Seafood Co. (or P Coast) - won't budge on the price. Since this company buys the majority of the crab, other processors generally follow the company's lead.

All of the sudden P Coast has agreed to $1.60 per pound - 25 cents less than California crabbers are getting this year. But not until a new round of testing. These tests determine how well the crab have filled in their shells. Recent state testing has already shown that the crabs were fine. Hmmm…wonder why?

Crab shed their shells or “molt” every year. This allows them to grow. The states collect crab and test them to assure that the crab are in fact full in the shell and ready to be harvested.

According to a recent newspaper article, Brent Searle, special assistant to the director of the Department of Agriculture, was puzzled over the demand for more testing. The Dept. of Ag “oversees” the negotiations between crabbers and processors. This is so the different fishermen’s groups can barter without violating federal antitrust laws.

Searle is further quoted as saying, "The state tests did yield in most areas the highest fill-out of any tests in history. One of the processors (Pacific) does have the capacity to hold supply ... but we don't have any data on the company's inventory. There's been a lot of time and effort spent refining the state tests and that still doesn't seem to give the processors enough confidence in what the tests are saying."

Every year we are allowed to “set” our crab gear approximately three days ahead of the season opener. This pre-season soak time allows crab to gather in the pots so that when the season opens there is something to catch. The weather for the pre-season set time was good. One week into the open season, the weather has been perfect. Now P Coast allows the processors to raise the price and the boats to go – and the weather forecast is not good.

This is still a derby fishery. Everyone will go fishing, regardless of the weather.

Stay tuned.

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The Dungeness Crab Kabuki Dance

Hello Fishies!

Believe it or not there are many different commercial fisheries here in the U.S. As I am involved in fisheries on the west coast and in Alaska, that is where my focus will lie.

For now, it is time to move down the coast to the lower 48 and concentrate on Dungeness Crab. Some of you may be familiar with this sweet meated crustacean, and some of you will read about it simply because it is crab! As an enticement – some of the folks involved in the Deadliest Catch are captains and crew aboard dungie boats.

The government has set the opening lift for dungies on Dec. 1 of the year. This opening can vary depending upon the results of certain tests. (More on those tests later.) Suffice it to say that the result of the testing this year is very good.

But the boats are still tied to the docks, their decks loaded with crab pots. Bait is still in the freezers, the processor crews sit idle. The boat owners, skippers and crew meet every few days, up and down the west coast. The meeting places are usually large, dimly lit, with poor acoustics and stellar barkeeps.

There are some meeting places where every person tries to out shout each other. They are certain that their opinion is more notable than others. One thing they all agree on – they will not fish for the opening price of $1.40. The crabbers are holding out for $1.60 – both prices are reminiscent of the 1980’s.

The dungie fishery is one of most poorly managed, over capitalized, politically charged and processor controlled of all the fisheries. As we move through the season on our way towards opilio crab, I hope to be your guide in this maze. Some of the information may bore you to tears, some may shock you, and I am absolutely certain that you will find a few of my opinions outrageous.

Stay tuned!

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A Minor Posting Needs a Major Clarification!

Greetings Fishies!

Seems that I need to give you a little clarification regarding the status of the fishing vessels that are participating in the Deadliest Catch Season 3. In my earlier listing of the boats I mentioned that there were 4 major and 4 minor. The major boats are those that have several camera/producers aboard. The minors are those with one stationary or fixed camera. It is possible that there was a camera person aboard the minor boats - we will have to wait and find out!

In one post on the Discovery Channel's Fan Forum an individual was just a wee bit on the hasty side in assuming I was being derogatory by using the major/minor terminology. It was not I who decided the status, that was up to the producers of the show - Original Productions. It is only in terms of the amount of filming being done aboard the boats - it has absolutely nothing to do with the history, ability etc of the boat.

Let me remind you that the opilio season has yet to be filmed and it is always possible that those roles may be reversed, other boats added and some deleted. And with the creative editing that they seem to like to do, who knows what could happen!

Regarding the Time Bandit: Yes indeed the Hillstrand brothers sold most of their king crab quota. I am uncertain as to when this occurred and when and how their crew was informed of this. Suffice it to say that the crew we saw and loved is not aboard the boat for king crab. At the last moment some king crab quota was looking for a boat to fish it and the Time Bandit was available. This will give them a bit more face time. I certainly hope that the film editors will tell us the full and true story about it all.

The Rollo was not filmed for DC Season three king crab. I have no information regarding the reason why. What I have been told is that due to the shenanigans on deck, the boat was booted out of their insurance pool. Far too much of a risk. Perhaps that has something to do with it - and then again - perhaps not!


Stay tuned!


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Projects or Corporate Expansion?

Hello Fishies!

I hope that you and yours enjoyed a blessed Thanksgiving. We certainly did! And look below, there are still turkeys out there!

APICDA owns one umbrella profit-making subsidiary, APICDA Joint Ventures, Inc. (AJV). AJV, in turn, has invested in several subsidiary companies. APICDA has formed, and may continue to form, for-profit subsidiary corporations to serve as the profit-making investment arms of the organization.

APICDA is proposing to move forward with a number of projects during the 2006-2008 CDP cycle. These projects will generate new capital and equity, and will expand and help stabilize the local economies in each of our member communities.

The following infrastructure projects are proposed in this CDP:

• Secure Funding for Construction of a Boat Harbor in Atka

• Widen Face of Atka City Dock

• Nikolski Mooring System

• Complete Nikolski Airport Improvements

• Akutan Harbor

• Support Construction of Central Bering Sea Research Facility in St. George

• Complete False Pass Airport Improvements

• Mark the Nelson Lagoon Ship Channel with Private Aids to Navigation

• Develop Akutan Support Services and Businesses

• Akutan Halibut Quota Share Purchase Program

• Construct New and Larger Atka Pride Seafoods Plant

• Develop Fuel Supply Business, Ship Support Businesses, and Other Uplands

• Development in Atka

• Operate Shoreside Processing Facility in St. George

• Construct Shoreside Processing Facility in Nelson Lagoon

• Develop Nelson Lagoon Store and Ship Supply

• Operate Bering Pacific Seafoods

• Develop False Pass Store, Fuel Farm, and Ship Supply

• Product Diversification Program

• Freight/Logistics/Passenger Ships

• APICDA Vessels, Inc.

• Expand Small Boat Fleet

• Ugludax Lodge, L.L.C.

• Purchase Crab Harvesting and Processing Shares

• Pursue Investments in Shoreside Support Companies

• Develop a Private Label and Marketing Program

• Explore Power Generation Joint Venture

There is NO reason, in my opinion, for these CDQ’s to be engaged in any of the above named enterprises. Remember, this is government sanctioned. It has become a very big, very powerful entity. You may have heard, or been engaged in conversations regarding “big business”. How the large gobbles up the small, ending up with a total control of the industry.

Well, there you are.

Stay tuned.

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APIDCA Mission Statement

Hello Fishies!

The award for the biggest turkey in Alaska this season is a tie. Its just too difficult to decide if the CDQ or the Processor control over the crab fishery is the worst.

From the APIDCA's own site:

The Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association will develop commercial and sport fishing industry related opportunities to enhance the long-term social and economic viability of the coastal communities and their residents in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.

APICDA will optimize benefits to its member communities and their residents through the development of infrastructure and fishery support services in the communities, the acquisition of seafood related businesses, including fishing vessels and/or processing facilities and support service industries at economically beneficial prices, and the acquisition of harvest and processing rights. By enabling the communities to participate in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Island fisheries, APICDA will:

• Promote and participate in business opportunities with capital investment funds.

• Relieve chronic social problems through the creation of jobs, and encourage individual growth through educational and vocational opportunities.

• Promote community control over their individual economic and social destinies; and,

• Continue to assist each community as they make the transition from reliance upon a CDQ allocation to economic and social self-sufficiency.

How on earth do you think that this transition will ever be able to happen? By purchasing or building all facets of the fishing industry the CDQÂ’s have a strangle hold on the communities and the industry!

According to their 2005 year end report, the APICDA has paid its 6 management or administrative employees in excess of $450,000. Some people are most definitely benefiting from this arrangement.

I hope you all enjoy your turkey - I know that the APIDCA is!

Stay tuned!

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APICDA and Alaska Crab

Greetings Fishies!

For the APICDA, the original CDQ species was pollock and the amount allocated to the program was 7.5% of the total allowable catch. Over the years the program has expanded to include all groundfish, crab and halibut fisheries in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. The allocation percentage is now 10% for pollock and crab, 7.5% for the remaining groundfish species, and varying percentages for halibut depending upon the area.

CDQ groups typically lease their CDQ allocations to other companies to harvest and process their allocation. In 1992, when the CDQ groups had virtually no assets, 100% of the CDQ allocations were leased to companies that had no CDQ ownership. Over the years the six groups have acquired ownership throughout the industry and now in excess of 60% of CDQ allocations are harvested and processed by companies of which the CDQ groups own all or part.

From their year end publication:

APICDA owns 100% of APICDA Vessels, Inc and Atka Pride Seafoods is owned 50% by APICDA and 50% by the Atka Fishermen’s Association. Harvesting our CDQ with our vessels and processing our CDQ in our plants in our communities has always been a goal of APICDA.

Bristol Bay Red King Crab: APICDA will have constructed a shoreside processing plant in False Pass (Bering Pacific Seafoods) by the conclusion of 2005. The plant will have the capability to process crab. BPS did not qualify for individual processor quota shares (IPQs). As a result, the only crab that BPS will be able to purchase are category B shares. The red king crab CDQ allocation will be an important part of Bering Pacific Seafoods operations, and an important economic contributor to False Pass and its residents.

Commencing with 2006, we intend that 100% of our red king crab CDQ allocation will be harvested by vessels owned in whole or part by APICDA and delivered for processing to the new Bering Pacific Seafoods shoreside processing facility in False Pass.

APICDA owns 100% of Bering Pacific Seafoods and owns or will own a portion of the vessel(s) harvesting our red king crab CDQ. Harvesting our CDQ with our vessels and processing our CDQ in our plants in our communities has always been a goal of APICDA.

Opilio Tanner Crab: APICDA will have constructed a shoreside processing plant in St. George by the conclusion of 2005. The plant will have the capability to process crab. The economy of St. George is virtually at a standstill following the collapse of the opilio crab fishery. The only real hope to establish a viable economy for the community is through a shoreside processing facility. The opilio crab CDQ allocation will be an important part of the new facility’s operations, and an important economic contributor to St. George and its residents.

Commencing with 2006, we intend that 100% of our opilio crab will be harvested by vessels owned in whole or part by APICDA and delivered for processing to the new shore side processing facility in St. George.

Stay tuned...you will be stunned when you learn about all of the things this group owns and the amount of control they have over everything from the price of fish to where they are delivered!

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APICDA, F/V Far West Leader & The Deadliest Catch

Greetings Fishies!

No doubt by now you have ascertained that I am no fan of the CDQ. In my last post I was living up to the shrewish description of my name. Bear with me a bit longer and it is very possible that you will understand.

At first blush you may think that the following is a good thing:

APICDA purchased an additional 25% ownership in the Farwest Leader Partnership. The Farwest Leader Partnership owns and operates the F/V Farwest Leader, a 100 foot vessel. The vessel operates in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands. The Farwest Leader harvests crab, Pacific cod, sablefish and tenders salmon. In addition to its harvesting capabilities, the vessel also has extensive fishing rights which include shares of various Bering Sea crab species. APICDA’s partner in this venture is Trident Seafoods.

If you recall from my prior post the F/V Far West Leader is one of the boats that is to be featured on The Deadliest Catch Season 3. This CDQ has purchased an additional ownership in this vessel, along with Trident Seafoods.

Will the producers of the tv show tell you about that?

This puts a major processor and a governmental agency in charge of even MORE fishing quota. That fishing quota should be in the hands of individuals, be it the captains or crew that have harvested it over the years.

It is a sad state of affairs that has allowed this sort of a thing to occur.

Continuing from the public report:

APICDA concluded its Bering Sea “A” season pollock fishery during the first quarter, harvesting 100% of the allocation. APICDA also harvested 100% of our 2006 opilio and bairdi Tanner crab CDQ allocations in the first quarter, and 100% of our Pacific cod CDQ “A” season allocation in the first quarter.

The F/V Konrad 1 participated in three fisheries in the first quarter. In January, the Konrad participated in the western gulf Tanner crab fishery harvesting approximately 41,000 pounds of bairdi (nearly 15% of the entire quota for this area). In February, the vessel participated in the state and federal Pacific cod fishery, harvesting over 200,000 pounds of Pacific cod. She is currently harvesting Bering Sea IFQ/CDQ sablefish.

The F/V Taty Z participated in several fisheries in the first quarter. In early March the vessel harvested APICDA’s 3A/B IFQ halibut. Later in the month, the vessel participated in various IFQ Gulf of Alaska sablefish fisheries. The vessel is now in the process of gearing up for the Aleutian Island halibut fishery.

Sad.

Stay tuned

<')))>{

CDQ: Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association

Hello Fishies!

Today I write to you with more definitive information regarding the CDQ system. As I noted in a prior post, there are six of these entities. I would like to explore each of them, some more in depth than others. I believe that as we look at the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association you will find them fascinating.

Each of these CDQ's must render a quarterly report and these are public documents available both from the state and on the internet. Please note that there are two versions, the public one that we have access to, and another, confidential report, that we do not. As these CDQ's are a governmental enterprise, and the government's actions should at least be transparent, if not conducted in public, I have some serious concerns.

The bulk of my gleanings come from the first quarter report of 2006 which was made available in May of 2006:

APICDA's employment goal for 2006 is to provide at least 80 jobs for APICDA residents. By
the conclusion of the first quarter, a total of 32 job positions (32 discrete individuals) had been
filled by APICDA residents, generating wages of $284,473 – over $8,890 per job. Based on
population, we employed just over seven percent (6%) of APICDAÂ’s community members

during the first quarter of 2006.

The above figure represents an average. They entered the 32 jobs into the wages figure and have given us the average. I wonder how many of these jobs are full or part time, family wage or year round jobs.

During the first quarter, sixteen individuals attended various vocational education or specialized training programs. APICDA invested $14,921 in vocational education scholarships for its residents this quarter.

Forty -one individuals used APICDA higher education scholarships during the first quarter of the year. Each scholarship is capped at $5,000 for the school year. A total of $102,500 in higher education scholarships were disbursed in the first quarter.

To whom? Where? Are these going to be degrees or skills that will be brought back to the comunity? Is the money for living expenses? Too many questions on this one!

The APICDA board, subsidiary boards, and committees were quite active in the first quarter. These various boards and committees conducted a total of ten meetings over the quarter.

Ahhh yes. Meetings...in the community or some where else?

Management and staff spent approximately 55 "person days" in the APICDA region in the first quarter. Project development, project maintenance, and community outreach were some of the activities/purposes for their trip(s) to the APICDA communities.

Excuse me. You don't live there??

It gets much more interesting. Don't forget that all the starting monies are from seafood, and there is a heavy presence in the processing and fishing vessel ownership.

Stay tuned!

<')))>(

Community Development Quota

Hello Fishies!

Today's topic is a continuation of my last post regarding the government allocating the fisheries to itself.

From the Alaska Department of Commerce:

The Community Development Quota Program began in December of 1992 with the goal of promoting fisheries related economic development in western Alaska. The program is a federal fisheries program that involves eligible communities who have formed six regional organizations, referred to as CDQ groups. There are 65 communities within a fifty-mile radius of the Bering Sea coastline who participate in the program.

The CDQ program allocates a portion of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Island harvest amounts to CDQ groups, including pollock, halibut, Pacific cod, crab and bycatch species. There are no significant amounts of salmon allocated. Based upon its evaluation of the Community Development Plans submitted by the six CDQ groups, the State of Alaska and the National Marine Fisheries Service periodically allocates percentages of each species to CDQ groups. The CDQ program was granted perpetuity status during the 1996 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

The program was modeled after the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). However, the CDQ program was created with three primary differences:

• Government oversight of all business activities
• Community based shareholders instead of individual shareholders
• Requirement that all investments be fisheries related

The six CDQ groups are:

• Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association (6 communities)
• Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation (17 communities)
• Central Bering Sea Fishermen's Association (1 community)
• Coastal Villages Region Fund (20 communities)
• Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (15 communities)
• Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association (6 communities)

And now for the spin:

Since 1992, over $110 million in wages, education, and training benefits have been generated for over 25,000 residents. As of 2003, the asset value of the six CDQ groups exceeded $260 million. Since 1992, over $500 million in revenues have been generated. The CDQ program has been successfully contributing to fisheries infrastructure in western Alaska by funding docks, harbors, and the construction of seafood processing facilities. The CDQ program has allowed CDQ groups to acquire equity ownership interests in the pollock, Pacific cod, and crab sectors which provide additional revenues to fund local in-region economic development projects, and education and training programs.

At first glance this sounds oh so lovely doesn't it? But consider this: would those dollars have better spent in the private sector? Government's inability to manage almost anything is legendary. This writer is of the opinion that in the right hands, that $110 million would have at least been doubled. Private investment and ownership always trumps any attempt at socialism.

Stay tuned!

<')))>{

Community Protection Measures

Hello Fishies!

What follows is another slice of the crab pie where governmental entities actually OWN some of the IFQ! Unfortunately this has been upheld from it's earlier implementation in the halibut and sablefish IFQ.

What are Community Protection Measures?

These are primarily limits on the amount of PQS and IPQ that can be used outside of communities with historic reliance on the crab fisheries, which means that more than 3% of a crab fishery was processed there. There are nine Eligible Crab Communities (ECCs): Adak, Akutan, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, False Pass, King Cove, Kodiak, Port Moller, Saint George, and Saint Paul. The three main protection measures are:

“Cooling off” Period
Right of First Refusal (ROFR), and
QS Purchase

What is the “Cooling Off” Period?

Until July 1, 2007, PQS and IPQ based on processing history earned in an ECC generally cannot be transferred from that community. The use of IPQ outside the community during this period is limited. Ten percent of the IPQs that are issued for a crab QS fishery or 500,000 pounds (226.7 mt), whichever is less, may be leased for use outside that ECC. The amount of IPQ that may be leased outside that ECC will be divided on a pro rata basis among all PQS permit holders issued IPQ for use in that ECC for that year. Four crab fisheries would be exempt from the cooling off provision: Eastern and Western Tanner crab, Western Aleutian Islands red king crab, and Western Aleutian Islands golden king crab.

Are there any exceptions to the “Cooling Off” restrictions?

Yes, if there is an “unavoidable circumstance” then the restrictions may be lifted for a specific processor in a specific ECC. The definition of an “unavoidable circumstance” is provided in the regulations.

What is Right of First Refusal (ROFR)?

Before NMFS issues any PQS, an ECC may establish a contract with that PQS holder which guarantees the ECC first rights to any PQS proposed for sale for use outside that community. Some requirements exist for IPQ as well. ROFR does not apply to Adak.

Can communities purchase QS?

Each ECC can purchase QS and lease the IFQ to community residents. Communities would need to submit an annual report to NMFS if they purchase QS.

What happens to CDQ crab?

The allocation to CDQ* groups increases to 10% of the TAC for the rationalized crab fisheries, except for Western Aleutian golden king crab, which has a 10% allocation specific to the community of Adak. This adds two new CDQ species, Eastern Aleutian golden king crab and Western Aleutian red king crab. The Norton Sound king crab CDQ allocation remains 7.5% of the TAC.

What specific community measures apply to Adak?

(1) Cooling off period applies.
(2) ROFR does not apply.

(3) Special allocation of 10% of the Western Aleutian golden king crab TAC. This allocation goes to an entity formed by the residents of Adak, or the Aleut Corporation if an entity doesn’t form for the first 2 years only. This allocation must be used for fishery development in Adak.

(4) QS can be held and IFQ leased to residents.

(5) 50% of the Western Aleutian golden king crab must be processed in Adak.

What specific measures apply in Non-CDQ ECCs?

Cooling off period applies.
Non-CDQ ECCs may enter a ROFR contract with a processor before the PQS application is submitted to NMFS. The governing body for each non-CDQ community must select the ECC entity to represent it for purposes of ROFR. The governing body of each ECC is:

Unalaska: City of Unalaska
King Cove: City of King Cove & Aleutians East Borough
Port Moller: Aleutians East Borough
QS can be held and IFQ leased to residents.

What specific measures apply to CDQ ECCs?

Cooling off period applies.

CDQ EECs may enter a ROFR contract with a processor before the PQS application is submitted to NMFS. The governing body for each ECC is the CDQ group for that community:

Akutan, False Pass, St. George: APICDA
St. Paul: CBSFA
QS can be held and IFQ leased to residents.

What specific measures apply to Kodiak?

Cooling off period applies.

The ECC entity of Kodiak may have a ROFR contract with any processor in any community in the North Gulf of Alaska before the PQS application is submitted to NMFS. The City of Kodiak and Kodiak Island Borough select the ECC entity.

QS can be held and IFQ leased to residents.

Is the CDQ crab fishery part of the Program? Do I need to have IFQ to fish in the CDQ fishery? How does IPQ relate to the CDQ crab fisheries?

Except for the CDQ fishery for king crab in Norton Sound, all CDQ crab is "rationalized" crab. However, you do not need Quota Share (QS) or IFQ for CDQ crab fisheries. You must fish under an authorized CDQ Group's CDQ crab allocation and all crab must be delivered to a Registered Crab Receiver (RCR). An RCR does not need IPQ to receive CDQ crab.

Is your head hurting yet? Sorry but we are just scratching the surface of this insane plan.

Stay tuned!

<')))>{

*Community Development Quota which will be covered next.

Crab & Artichoke Croissants

Greetings Fishies!

This is another recipe that is entirely too tasty for you to miss!

1/3 pound crab meat
1/3 cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon dill
1 clove garlic, minced
Dash cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (2 ¼ oz.) can ripe olives, sliced
1 artichoke heart, drained and cut up
3 croissants

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, dill, garlic, cayenne pepper and parsley. Add the crab, 3 ounces of the shredded cheese, artichoke heart and olives. Split the croissants in half, horizontally. Place them on a baking sheet, cut side up. Spread each half with crab mixture, then sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Broil the sandwiches about 4 to 6 inches from heat, until topping is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remember to check this blog's archives and-

Stay tuned!

<‘)))>{

Who is the Fishwife?

Hello Fishies!

First let me thank you for taking the time to read and respond to this blog. In turn, I do read ALL of your different forums - from the Deadliest Catch, My Space and Fish-n-Chat to the F/V Northwestern. (More on that topic coming soon). While I do get a kick out of your speculation as to my identity, none of you know me. From the very beginning of the show I have been silent and this blog is the vehicle that I have chosen to get information out to you.

Yes I am a fishwife as defined in the very first blog post. I know the sides of the industry that never get mentioned: processor politics, government/enforcement and what fishermen and their families really are like. It is my intention to pass items along to you and help to educate you my dear Fishies, while dispelling rumor and inaccuracies. Rest assured that I will never ever knowingly post anything about the industry that is false or misleading.

Don'’t forget that true Alaskan King Crab is now on the market!

Stay tuned!

<'‘)))>{

Time Bandit Update

Hello Fishies!

This just in - at the last minute the Hillstrand brothers did lease some king crab quota. What this does or does not do for their standing in the Deadliest Catch I don't know. What I do know is that the brothers themselves crewed. What their real bottom line is remains to be seen.

Stay tuned!

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Permits and Licenses

Hello Fishies!

Here is another installment in our ongoing struggle to understand the Bering Sea crab fishery.

What Federal and State Permits do I need for CR Crab fisheries?

• Owners of vessels used in CR Crab fisheries must hold a Federal Crab Vessel Permit issued by NMFS, and use a VMS.* Vessels must be U.S. Coast Guard documented or State-registered, and also must have an ADF&G Number (issued by the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC).
  

• If you will be retaining any groundfish harvested from Federal waters (even Pacific cod caught for your own bait), the owners also must obtain a Federal Fishery Permit. Note that any harvest of "minor species" (scarlet king crab, grooved and triangle Tanner crabs and golden king crab from the Bering Sea) requires that the vessel be named on a valid Federal License Limitation Program (LLP) crab license, unless exempt from that requirement.
  

• CR Crab harvesters: Sellers of product (individual IFQ permit holders or their Hired Masters landing CR Crab) must each have a current CFEC permit for specific king crab fisheries, and for Tanner crab fisheries. An individual fishing on behalf of an IFQ permit holder other than him/herself is a Hired Master; and must be approved by NOAA Fisheries for the specific permit and vessel on which (s)he will fish the Permit holder's IFQ.
  

• CR Crab receivers/buyers/processors: To receive raw CR Crab from harvesters, and owners or operators of vessels that catch and process CR Crab at sea, must have a Registered Crab Receiver (RCR) Permit. Note that a business receiving crab on behalf of the actual crab purchaser (either for actual custom processing or as a receiving service) also must be a RCR. Additionally, RCRs receiving IFQ crab harvested under a Class A IFQ permit must have IPQ. Note that an RCR may only debit its own IPQ account(s).

• CR crab purchasers (which may be different from crab receivers): the State of Alaska requires that all buyers of seafood products obtain an annual Intent to Operate license, commonly referred to as the ADF&G Processor license code.
  

• Other State requirements (such as fishery registration or hold inspection) may be in effect. Please contact the local office of ADF&G in Dutch Harbor for specific information.

I especially like that last line...other requirements may be in effect. How would you like to call several government agencies every time you went to work?

Stay tuned!

<‘)))>{

*Vessel Monitoring System - more on this little gem at a later date.

The F/V Time Bandit

Hello Fishies!

I am still hard at work trying to verify some most interesting information regarding one of the boats in the Deadliest Catch....here is what I know right now:

Some time back there was speculation brought on by a news story about the TimeBandit. That story indicated that both the boat and all of it's crab quota was for sale. None other than the Hillstrand brothers themselves vigorously denied that the boat or the quota was available.

If my information is correct, and I believe that it is, the Hillstrand brothers sold the bulk of their king crab quota. This writer can not argue with any business decision that some one makes. However, I most certainly would have told my crew well in advance of their arrival in Alaska.

The current crew of the Time Bandit is the three Hillstrand brothers plus one deck hand. The rest of the crew are out of jobs. It now makes perfect sense as to why the Discovery Channel chose to use them as a minor boat.

Stay tuned!

<')))>{

Use Caps - Or Puttin' a Lid on It

Hello Fishies!

Tonight's topic is a bit on the short side, bet you are glad of that! By the time you get to the end of the "lesson" you will be grateful. And let me remind you here, that this information is directly from the government, and supposedly put into a language we can all easily understand....mmmmhmmmm. Alrighty then!

What are use caps?

Use caps limit the amount of QS and IFQ a person can hold, to prevent excessive share consolidation or control. The type of use cap that applies differs on the type of person that holds the QS or IFQ. Vessels use caps limit the amount of IFQ that can be fished on a vessel.

How are use caps calculated?

Use caps are calculated by adding up all of the QS or IFQ held by that person and their percentage of direct or indirect ownership in any entity that holds QS or IFQ. This is called the "individual and collective" rule and is similar to the way that we calculate use caps in the halibut and sablefish IFQ program.

As an example, for an individual who holds 100 pounds of IFQ and has a 5 percent interest in a company that holds 100 pounds of IFQ, the amount of IFQ that person would be considered to hold for use cap calculation is 100 pounds (his personal holdings) plus 5 pounds (5% of 100 pounds - his ownership interest in that company).

However, for a corporation, partnership, or other non-individual entity that holds QS or IFQ and also holds PQS or IPQ, NMFS uses a different calculation method - a 10 percent threshold rule. In this case, the use cap is equal to all of the QS or IFQ held by that person and all of the QS or IFQ held by any entity in which that non-individual has a 10 percent or greater direct or indirect ownership interest. As an example, a corporation that holds 100 pounds of IFQ and has a 15 percent interest in a company that holds 100 pounds of IFQ, would be considered to hold 200 pounds of IFQ for use cap calculation in 100 pounds (the corporations direct holdings) plus 100 pounds (the company's holdings). NMFS modified this calculation method from the proposed rule to better meet Council objectives.

Stay tuned - there will be some most interesting information coming out of the Bering Sea shortly. I won't engage in speculation and am awaiting confirmation.

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Processor Quota Share (PQS) and Individual Processing Quota (IPQ)

Greetings fishies!

The topic for tonight is the egregious and provision called Processor Quota Share (PQS) and Individual Processing Quota (IPQ). This little gem of an idea is what keeps the fishermen caught by the shorthairs. It is what makes them head to sea in dangerous weather - to make that processor imposed delivery deadline. Safer? Uh yeah right - I don't think so.

What is PQS?

PQS is a long-term privilege to receive a percentage of the crab harvest in a fishery. PQS annually yields IPQ.

What is IPQ?

IPQ is the pounds of crab that PQS yields each year. IPQ is needed to receive any amount of crab harvested under a Class A IFQ permit. The amount of IPQ issued every year is equal to the pounds issued as Class A IFQ.

How do I get PQS?

NMFS issued PQS to qualified applicants that submitted an application BEFORE the application deadline. Applications were accepted from April 4, 2005, until 5:00 p.m. Alaska local time on June 3, 2005. To receive PQS now you must obtain it by transfer from another PQS holder.

How do I get IPQ?

By August 1 each year a PQS holder must submit an application for IPQ to NMFS. All required fees and data reports must be submitted before NMFS issues you IPQ. If you do not hold PQS, you can receive IPQ by transfer. In addition, NMFS will not issue IPQ to any PQS holder that is required to participate in the Arbitration System until the Arbitration System requirements have been met.

Do I need IPQ to process crab?

No, you can receive crab harvested with Class B IFQ, CPO IFQ, CPC IFQ, and CVC IFQ (before July 1, 2008) without IPQ. You can also receive crab harvested under a CDQ allocation without IPQ. You must have IPQ to receive crab harvested with Class A IFQ. Anyone who is receiving crab (whether processing or not) must have a registered crab receiver (RCR) permit. That permit is necessary for data collection and fee assessment. That permit is available through NMFS (but will only be issued if fee payments and reporting requirements have been met).

I know, I know fishies, but you really do need to know this stuff.

Stay tuned!

<')))>{

Quota Share & Individual Fishing Quota

Hello Fishies!
Tonight's lesson:

Quota Share (QS) and Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ)

What is QS?

QS represents a long-term privilege to harvest a percentage of the crab fishery. QS was issued initially either to :
(1) holders of permanent LLP* licenses for which the original LLP qualifying vessel had eligible crab landings; or
(2) crew members who, in the crab qualifying years held a State of Alaska Interim Use Permit and made landings with that permit.
LLP-based QS is 97% of all the QS in a fishery. Crew-based QS is 3% of all the QS in a fishery. Each year QS yields IFQ.

What are the types of quota share?

There are four types of harvesting Quota Share (QS) depending on how the shares were initially earned.

"C" or "Crew" shares were initially issued to persons who historically held CFEC crab permits, and signed fish tickets for qualifying landings.
CVC Crew shares were based on qualifying pounds delivered raw, and
CPC QS was based on qualifying landings processed at sea.

"O" or Owner" QS was initially issued to persons who held License Limitation Program (LLP) crab permits and had qualifying landings.

CVO shares were based on qualifying pounds delivered raw, and
CPO shares were derived from qualifying landings processed at sea.
Annual IFQ derived from Owner and Crew quota shares have different use privileges.

How do I get QS?

NMFS issued QS to qualified LLP holder or crew member applicants who submitted an application BEFORE the application deadline. Applications were accepted from April 4, 2005, until 5:00 p.m. Alaska local time on June 3, 2005.

What is IFQ?

IFQ is the pounds of crab that QS yields each year. It is determined by number of QS units held and the annual crab total allowable catch amount (TAC). The QS holder or a hired master can fish IFQ. IFQ may be assigned to a cooperative. IFQ that is based on QS issued to LLP License holders can be leased until June 30, 2010. IFQ that is based on QS issued to crew can be leased until June 30, 2008, and after that date, under special exemptions for medical hardships and the physical loss of a vessel on which the IFQ holder uses the IFQ.

How do I get IFQ?

A QS holder must submit an application for IFQ to NMFS by August 1 each year. You can either receive the IFQ yourself, or assign that IFQ to a crab harvesting cooperative. You can also receive IFQ by transfer. All required fees and data reports must be submitted before NMFS issues you IFQ. In addition, NMFS will not issue IFQ to any QS holder that is required to participate in the Arbitration System until the Arbitration System requirements have been met.

What are the types of IFQ?

IFQ is issued in four types:

CPO, CPC, CVO, and CVC.
CPO and CPC QS can be used to harvest and process crab onboard a vessel. It does not have to be delivered to a specific shorebased or stationary floating crab processor.
CVO and CVC QS must be delivered to a shorebased or stationary floating crab processor.

CVO QS will yield two types of IFQ each year: Class A and Class B. Crab harvested under a CVO Class A IFQ permit must be delivered to a processor with unused IPQ in a specific region. Ninety percent (90%) of the CVO IFQ will be issued as Class A IFQ. Ten percent (10%) of the CVO IFQ will be issued as Class B IFQ. Crab harvested under a Class B IFQ permit can be delivered to any processor and does not need to be delivered to a processor with IPQ in a specific region.

CVC QS yields CVC IFQ until June 30, 2008. CVC IFQ is similar to Class B IFQ; it can be delivered to any processor and is not tied to a specific region. After June 30, 2008, CVC QS will yield CVC Class A IFQ and CVC Class B IFQ. Ninety percent (90%) of the CVC IFQ will be issued as CVC Class A IFQ. Ten percent (10%) of the CVC IFQ will be issued as Class B IFQ. CVC Class A IFQ has the same requirements to be delivered to a processor with IPQ and regional delivery requirements. CVC Class B IFQ does not have these requirements.

Are your eyes glazing over yet? Wait - it gets worse!

Stay tuned!

<')))>{
* LLP - License Limitation Program

What are the rationalized crab fisheries?

Hello fishies!

Here is part 2 in our ongoing series about "rationalization".

What are the rationalized crab ("CR Crab") fisheries?

Most king and Tanner crab fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands are now "rationalized crab fisheries" - "CR Crab". This includes the IFQ/IPQ fisheries; the CDQ crab fisheries (except in Norton Sound), and the allocation of golden king crab to the Community of Adak. A few BSAI king and Tanner crab fisheries remain under the License Limitation Program (LLP). The Program applies to the following BSAI crab fisheries:

• Bristol Bay red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus)

• Western Aleutian Islands (Adak) golden king crab (Lithodes aequispinus)— west of 174 degrees West longitude.

• Eastern Aleutian Islands (Dutch Harbor) golden king crab- east of 174 degrees West longitude.

• Western Aleutian Islands (Adak) red king crab— west of 179 West longitude.

• Pribilof Islands blue king crab (P. platypus) and red king crab

• St. Matthew Island blue king crab

• Bering Sea snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio)

• Bering Sea Tanner crab (C. bairdi)

Stay tuned!

<')))>{

What is Crab Rationalization?

Hello Fishies!

I have been combing different sites to bring you information that you will be able to use. Being actively involved in the fishing industry, we are constantly dealing with the whims and fancies of the government and the environmentalists. But you my fishy friends, probably have no clue as to what these are.
As was discussed in the Deadliest Catch, Season 1, crab rationalization has become a reality. In Season 2 you saw the skipper of the F/V Rollo run afoul of the new laws with out even realizing it. To say it is a complex situation would be a dramatic understatement.
At the risk of making your eyes roll up in your head with boredom, I am going to bring you a series of articles that should help you to have a better understanding of what we face. This information is directly from NOAA/NMFS* .

If they ever re-air The Deadliest Catch Season 2, and when they show Season 3, you will be "in the know!

To begin, let's ask the simple question "What is Crab Rationalization?"


"The Crab Rationalization Program (Program) allocates BSAI** crab resources among harvesters, processors, and coastal communities. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council developed the Program over a 6-year period to accommodate the specific dynamics and needs of the BSAI crab fisheries. The Program builds on the Council'’s experiences with the halibut and sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program and the American Fisheries Act (AFA) cooperative program for Bering Sea pollock. The Program is a limited access system that balances the interests of several groups who depend on these fisheries.
The Program addresses conservation and management issues associated with the previous derby fishery, reduces bycatch and associated discard mortality, and increases the safety of crab fishermen by ending the race for fish.
Share allocations to harvesters and processors, together with incentives to participate in fishery cooperatives, will increase efficiencies, provide economic stability, and facilitate compensated reduction of excess capacities in the harvesting and processing sectors. Community interests are protected by Community Development Quota (CDQ) allocations and regional landing and processing requirements, as well as by several community protection measures.
Program components include quota share allocation, processor quota share allocation, IFQ and individual processing quota (IPQ) issuance, quota transfers, use caps, crab harvesting cooperatives, protections for Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries, arbitration system, monitoring, economic data collection, and cost recovery fee collection.

Confused yet? Just wait....

Stay tuned!

<')))>{

*National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration / National Marine Fisheries Service
** Bering Sea Aleutian Islands

Crab-Avocado Boats

Hello Fishies!

I have had requests to provide you with seafood recipes, which I will do from time to time. As it is now Alaska King Crab season with fresh product on the market, what better time to introduce to you one of our favorites:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 pound fresh crab meat (you can substitute shrimp)
3 large avocados, halved and seeded
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed

In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and blend in four and salt. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Add lemon juice; fold in crab. Arrange unpeeled avocado halves in a shallow baking dish. Spoon crab mixture atop. Melt remaining butter; toss with bread crumbs and marjoram; sprinkle over filled avocados. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 mins.

Stay tuned for more!

<')))>{

Bering Sea Crab Observers

Greetings fishies!

Most commercial fisheries require a vessel, at one time or another, to carry an extra person known as an "Observer". The observer records and transmits information to the government regarding the different species fished, among other things. Every year the Alaska Department of Fish & Game announces the "selected" vessels and gives additional information in a news release.

Observers were aboard some of the boats during the filming of the Deadliest Catch, Season 2. Those boats were:

Vessels 75-125 feet

Maverick, King crab
Aleutian Ballad, Opilio crab

While the observers were obviously a presence aboard the boats, never once did we catch even a glimpse of them. This writer believes that is doing the viewer, the industry and the observers a disservice.

For the upcoming Season 3, the following boats will have Observers:

Vessels 75-125 feet:
Aleutian Ballad, King Crab
Maverick, Opilio crab

Over 125 feet:
Cornelia Marie, King crab and Opilio crab
Northwestern, Opilio crab

and these are on the alternates list:

Vessels 75-125 feet:
Rollo, King crab
Far West Leader, Opilio crab
Early Dawn, King crab, Opilio crab

Over 125 feet:
Northwestern, King crab
Wizard, King crab

From the Press Release:

"Catcher vessels have been selected for observer coverage in the Bristol Bay and Bering sea crab fisheries. Each selected catcher vessel will be required to carry a crab observer during 100% of the time that the vessel is participating in the fishery. In addition to the list of catcher vessels selected to carry an observer, there is an alternate list of vessels for Bristol Bay red king crab and Bering Sea snow crab. Alternate vessels may be required to carry an observer if there are changes to the list of selected catcher vessels......

ADF&G or a state-contracted observer company will provide observers for selected catcher vessels and costs will be covered using cost-recovery and grant funds. Processing vessels arrange and pay for their own observer coverage.

All vessels must have proof of compliance with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) vessel safety requirements. USCG Dockside examinations are available in Puget sound, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor.

Observers will have their own rain gear, boots, gloves, survival suit, and personal flotation device (PFD) for working on deck, along with their own bedding and personal items. Some of the regulatory requirements for vessels that carry observers include:

• Provide adequate food and accommodations for the observer equal to those provided for the vessel's crew;

• Provide to the observer daily catch information, including areas fished, number of crab retained, pot locations, number of pots pulled, and other information specified by the department;

• Provide a safe work area, and necessary gear including 2 to 3 totes for the observer to use at all times to hold the contents of crab pots for sampling;

• Assure observer access to single side band (SSB) radio, fax, telex, or telephone."

For more indepth information and photos please visit:

http://www.saltwaterinc.com/ak_Crab/ak_crab.html

Do NOT miss the links to letters from observers at the bottom of the page:

http://www.saltwaterinc.com/ak_Crab/crab_letters.html

http://www.alaskanobservers.com/observer.html


Stay tuned!

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