Commercial fisheries are managed by the federal government in waters 3-200 miles offshore. Recently, the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council recommended a rationalization plan for the Bering Sea and Aleutians Islands' (BSAI) crab stocks. The council's recommendation granted exclusive processing rights, which incorporate a plan designating 90% of the crab to named processors. Creating processor quota shares eliminates free enterprise and further limits community access to the processing industry. House Joint Resolution 25 sends a clear message that the BSAI rationalization plan hurts local fishermen and limits the free enterprise system in coastal communities. HJR 25 will be sent to our Congressional delegation and to the federal administrators overseeing the crab rationalization plan.

These BSAI crab fisheries occur in close proximity to many of Alaska's coastal communities, providing jobs and millions of dollars in revenues. Processor quota shares are unprecedented, giving processors rights for all future crab allocations. In fact, the processors named as recipients are not tied to a location. A processor may choose to process their shares elsewhere, leaving current coastal communities without any source of revenue or jobs. On average, over 45% of the total crab catch, will be processed by foreign companies, demonstrating the potential devastating affects of resources leaving Alaskan communities.

This plan places local communities at a serious disadvantage in the processing industry. Processors without processor quota shares may be forced to downsize without having crab-processing opportunities. New companies interested in processing would also be less inclined if the ability to buy crab stocks was disallowed under the crab rationalization. By preempting local communities from processing crab, jobs and economic opportunities may never reach many of Alaska's coastal communities and those communities with current crab processors may lose them altogether.

Under the plan, independent fishermen will be unable to sell their catch at the best price or even find the highest bidder. Fishermen would be mandated to sell their catch to specific, named processors. The impetus for processors to compete for crab fishermen would ultimately be negated, because fishermen are mandated to sell their crab already.

HJR 25 supports Alaska's fishermen and allows the legislature to send a message that the current crab rationalization plan hurts Alaska's coastal communities and hurts Alaska's independent commercial fishermen.

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