 Three-Year Plan Approved by North Pacific Fishery Management Council October 10, 2002
"Since the program began ten years ago, fishery revenues of over $340 million have been directed toward investments on behalf of the eligible communities," Knowles said. "The CDQ program has produced over $80 million in wages, education, and training benefits for CDQ residents and benefits beyond the boundaries of the 65 eligible communities. Residents from non-CDQ communities have participated in education and training programs and have been a source of employees for CDQ groups and industry partners." CDQ groups have also invested in in-region seafood infrastructure projects and fish processing investments. The aggregate asset value of the six CDQ groups at the end of 2001 was in excess of $190 million. CDQ industry partners also benefit from an increase in access to fisheries quota beyond the open access fishery. CDQ group investments into harbor-related improvements have provided benefits to communities and participants industry-wide. Under the program, CDQ groups are allocated up to ten percent of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands for pollock, halibut, Pacific cod, crab, sablefish, mackerel, and several other bycatch species. That allocation is then divided among six regional CDQ organizations that represent 65 eligible communities bordering the Bering Sea. The State of Alaska reviews applications from the CDQ groups that outline ways they will use the catch to improve the social and economic conditions specific to their regions. After consulting with the CDQ groups and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the state established a three-year allocation cycle, 2003-2005, for all groundfish, halibut, and crab species. Several allocation cycles have taken place since the beginning of the CDQ program in 1992. The state CDQ Team's recommended 2003-2005 allocations for key target species are as follows:
The six regional CDQ organizations are:
The state's allocation recommendations for the CDQ program were approved by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council at its meeting in Seattle last week. The state must submit its findings to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) by October 15. NMFS has 45 days to provide their recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for final approval and implementation.
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