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!

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* 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!

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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!

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*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!

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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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Crab by Numbers

Hello fishes!

Crab by numbers is nothing like the old art sets - paint by numbers for those of you who might not be familiar with them. Or maybe it is. As the areas are filled with color a distinct picture emerges.


The way that the poundage numbers stacked up on Season 2 of the Deadliest Catch, and the continual use of the term "the big dogs" may lead the uneducated viewer to a false assumption. The total poundage actually owned by the boats vs. the total poundage leased is an important item to know.

Yes, it is true that some of the larger boats do own more quota poundage, and rightly so. However, the dollar amounts you saw on the television reflect largely leased quota. Don't believe me? Check it out. The original quotas per vessel are public record.


About that leased quota....here is how that worked out during the 2005 red crab season:


70% of the value of the crab went directly to the owner of the quota. If a leased quota of 100,000 pounds was sold at $5.00 per pound, that would be a cool half million bucks. Immediately a check is cut to the owner of that quota for $350,000. The remaining balance of $150,000 goes to the boat. Of course the boat owner takes a nice sized chunk, at least 50%. At this point expenses can be taken out - fuel, bait, gear, etc. This drops the gross significantly. If the owner is the skipper, he is paid another 20%. A hired skipper is paid far less, down as low as 12%. The deck crew comes in at about 7%, and a greenhorn or "half share guy" even less. The food expense can be divided by however many hands there are and that is taken off of the share. Can't forget airfare either, well over $1,000 round trip from Seattle to Dutch.

Are the above numbers true for every boat? No, of course not. Each vessel is an individual business, thus their pay scales can vary greatly. Some boats are very family oriented and pay their hands well. Others are.....well, not so much. When Season 2 re-airs, take a good look at those numbers. You will have a good idea of who owns, who leases, and how they pay.


Stay tuned!

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The Alaska King Crab Season has Begun

Greetings fish fans!

The Alaska King Crab season has begun. Well, actually the season opened to "set" the gear on Sat. the 15th, but the boats remained tied to the dock until yesterday.

The reason? Price. Its always about the money. Seems that the processors are only offering $3.50 per pound "on the ticket." That means that the boats go out with that set as the price, and they will arbitrate any upwards movement. The fishermen are not holding their breath on any decent increase.

Amazing, isn't it ? Especially when you consider what the price was on the first season of the Deadliest Catch. Seems the processors have the fishery by the short hairs. Thanks a lot there for THAT one Sen. Stevens. That brings the earnings down again in an already stressed industry. Let's see - fewer boats, fewer crew, less income per person....bet your towns like that.

Another piece of the pricing structure puzzle is the heavy influx of red crab from the Barents Sea. This is NOT Alaskan King Crab, it is primarily Russian. Unfortuneatly, it is labeled, marketed and then sold as such. Until and unless the distribution chain, from the processors to the retailers, are hammered with heavy fines or suspension of their licenses, it will continue. That is until the countries strip mining their resources finish them off.

What can you do? As a consumer and a fan of the Deadliest Catch, make certain that you only buy your crab from a safe source. How do you do that? Simple - ask and then verify. There are many markets out there and a common sense approach will lead you to a good one. Don't let price be your only guide - remember that quality is not expensive, it's priceless!

I have discovered that the folks from the F/V Maverick have started up a seafood company:

www.maverickseafoods.com

I would bet its a great place to start.

Stay tuned!

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Deadliest Catch Season 3 - The Boats

Hello fishies!

I want to give you the heads up on which boats are going to be on the third season of Discovery Channel's hit show "The Deadliest Catch."

There will be a total of eight boats - 4 major boats and 4 minor boats.

First the major boats:

Cornelia Marie
Maverick
Northwestern
Far West Leader

The minor boats:

Early Dawn
Aleutian Ballad
Wizard
Time Bandit

It is my understanding that the major boats will be featured with plenty of coverage just as in the past. The minor boats will have only one stationary camera aboard and they will be primarily filming the major boats.

While many speculate across the internet as to who and who will not be included, YOU little fishies can say with certainty who will be there!

Stay tuned!

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What's A Fishwife?

fish·wife (fshwf) n. pl. fish·wives (-wvz) 1. A woman who sells fish. 2. A woman regarded as coarse and shrewishly abusive. That description says it all. I can be all or none of the above at any given moment. Stay tuned! <' )))>-{