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!

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