Crab Rationalization

Crab being offloaded in Dutch Harbor

The Bering Sea Aleutian Island (BSAI) Crab Rationalization program (CR program) is a limited access privilege management program, which was implemented in 2005. The CR program applies to all federal crab fisheries except for Norton Sound red king crab and Pribilof golden king crab. Specifically it includes:

Bristol Bay red king crab
Bering Sea snow crab (C. opilio)
Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab (C. bairdi) – East of 166º W
Western Bering Sea Tanner crab (C. bairdi) – West of 166º W
Pribilof Islands blue and red king crab
Saint Matthew Island blue king crab
Western Aleutian Islands (Adak) golden king crab – West of 174º W
Eastern Aleutian Islands (Dutch Harbor) golden king crab – East of 174º W
Western Aleutian Islands (Petrol Bank District) red king crab – West of 179º W

The program issued harvest quota shares (QS) to vessel owners (License Limitation Program license holders) and captains, as well as processor quota shares (PQS) to processors. QS and PQS are a
revocable privileges that allow its holder to harvest (or process) a specific percentage of the annual total allowable catch (TAC) in a program fishery. The corresponding annual allocations, which are expressed in pounds, are referred to as individual fishing (or processing) quota; IFQ and IPQ. There are different types of harvesting QS. Quota issued to qualifying vessel captains is called C shares and represents 3% of the harvesting quota share pool. The remaining 97% is issued as either Class A IFQ, which is required to be delivered to a processor holding available IPQ, or Class B IFQ which can be delivered to any processor. The amount and type of QS originally issued depended on the vessel catch history during certain qualifying years. The CR program allows for the voluntary formation of harvesting cooperatives to coordinate the harvest of crab IFQ. In addition, it allocates 10% of the annual TAC of each crab stock to the Community Development Quota Program.

Staff contact is Sarah Marrinan; 907-271-2814.

Newsletter Articles

BSAI Crab (2/14/2022)
Crab E-Logbooks (2/6/2020)
BSAI Crab Management (6/13/2019)
Crab Partial Offloads (6/13/2019)
Cooperative Reports (4/12/2018)
Co-op Reporting (4/17/2017)
Bristol Bay Red King Crab Savings Area (12/19/2016)

Reviews of BSAI Crab Rationalization Program

10-year Program Review 02/17; Appendix A – Social Impact Assessment (Exec. Summ. to Appendix A); Appendix B – Community Fishery Engagement Indices; Appendix C – Assessment of Safety in the Crab Fleet
5-year Program Review 12/10; Executive Summary (only), Executive Summary to Appendix A (Social Impact Assessment); Appendix B
3-year Program Review 11/08; Appendix
18-month Program Review 3/07

Documents and Motions by Year

DEC 2019: Public Review Partial Offloads; Council Motion

FEB 2018: Public Review Small Sideboards; Council motion

APR 2017: Discussion paper on the consideration of operational cost in crab arbitration
APR 2017: Discussion paper on Tanner crab custom processing caps; Council motion

JUN 2016: Council motion on Crab 10-Year Review
JUN 2016: Council motion on Arbitration Discussion Paper
JUN 2016: Crab 10-year review (initial draft); Appendix A Social Impact Assessement; Appendix B Community Engagement Indices; Appendix C Assessment of Safety
JUN 2016: Initial/ Public review analysis to exempt custom processing from the Tanner crab IPQ use caps; Council motion
JUN 2016: Council motion for discussion paper on custom processing caps

OCT 2015: Public review analysis on Western Aleutian Islands Golden King Crab Full Offload Exemption; Council Motion
JUN 2015: Council Motion on Western Aleutian Island Red King Crab Stock Split
JUN 2015: Initial review analysis on Western Aleutian Islands Golden King Crab Full Offload Exemption; Council Motion
APR 2015: Workplan for the 10-year Program Review SSC document
FEB 2015: Workplan for the 10-year Program Review Council document

OCT 2014: Public review analysis on allocation of PQS to Aleutia Corporation; Council Motion
OCT 2014: Public review analysis on crab right of first refusal contract terms; Council Motion
JUN 2014: Initial review analysis on crab right of first refusal contract terms; Council Motion
APR 2014: Direction on crab cooperative reporting; Council Motion

FEB 2013: Crab PSC and PSC limits; Council Motion
FEB 2013: Public review analysis on modifications to community provisions (Right of First Refusal) 2/13; Note on changes from Initial Review; Council Motion
FEB 2013: Letter to BSAI crab cooperatives on cooperative reports 2/27/13
FEB 2013: Discussion paper on BSAI crab cooperative provisions for crew 2/13; Council Motion
FEB 2013: Initial review analysis on BSAI crab active participation requirements 2/13; Council Motion

OCT 2012: Council Motion
OCT 2012: Discussion paper on Golden King Crab Arbitration; Workgroup Report
OCT 2012: Initial review analysis on modifications to community provisions (Right of First Refusal)
OCT 2012: Initial review analysis on BSAI crab active participation requirements
OCT 2012: Discussion Paper on BSAI crab cooperative provisions for crew
FEB 2012: Crab Economic Data Reporting RIR/IRFA for Public Review; Council Motion

DEC 2011: Council Motion on Active Participation, lease rates, entry opportunities and crew provisions
DEC 2011: Council Motion on Binding Arbitration
DEC 2011: Council Motion on modifications to community provisions (Right of First Refusal)
OCT 2011: Initial review analysis on modification to crab economic data reporting; Council Motion
APR 2011: Discussion Paper on crab economic data reporting; Council Motion
APR 2011: Council Motion on on modification of cooperative, IFQ and IPQ application deadlines
FEB 2011: Initial review analysis on modification of cooperative, IFQ and IPQ application deadlines; Council Motion
FEB 2011: Public review analysis on modifications to community provisions (right of first refusal); Council Motion

DEC 2010: Initial review analysis on modifications to community provisions (right of first refusal); Council Motion
DEC 2010: Council Motion on BSAI Crab Program 5-year Review
DEC 2010: Initial review analysis on on exemption to west-region landing requirements for WAG; Council Motion
OCT 2010: Discussion paper on crab economic data reporting; Council Motion
APR 2010: Council Motion on emergency exemption for WAG
APR 2010: Council Motion on exemption to west-region landing requirement for WAG
FEB 2010: Initial review analysis on modifications to Right of First Refusal; Council Motion
FEB 2010: Initial review analysis on exemption to West-Region Landing Requirement for WAG; Council Motion
FEB 2010: Discussion Paper on crab economic data collection; Council Motion

DEC 2009: Discussion paper on crab amendment package
JUN 2009: Council motion
JUN 2009: Discussion paper on WAI GKC fishery modifications
JUN 2009: Discussion paper on ROFR modifications
JUN 2009: Discussion paper on extinguishing processor shares
JUN 2009: Discussion paper on leasing practices in the crab fisheries
FEB 2009: Council motion on crab emergency exemption
FEB 2009: BSAI Crab emergency exemption from regional landing requirements

OCT 2008: Council motion on exemptions from regional landing requirements
OCT 2008: Public review draft on St. George cooling off period and first refusal
JUN 2008: Council motion
APR 2008: Council motion
APR 2008: Public review draft on arbitration package
APR 2008: Public review draft on requirements for C shares
FEB 2008: Crab Motion
FEB 2008: Strawman elements and options for revision of 90/10 A share B share split
FEB 2008: Analysis of Crab loan program

Crab Advisory Committee appointed; Meets Dec 17-18
DEC 2007: Council motion (revised 12/27)
DEC 2007: Public review analysis on overfishing definitions
DEC 2007: Public review analysis on C Share Split
DEC 2007: Public review analysis on Custom Processing Use Cap Exemption
DEC 2007: Public review analysis on Post Delivery Transfer
OCT 2007: Council motion
OCT 2007: Initial review analysis on post delivery transfer of IFQ
OCT 2007: Initial review analysis on processor use cap exemptions
OCT 2007: Initial review analysis C-share exemptions
JUN 2007: Council motion
JUN 2007: Discussion paper on crab processing caps
JUN 2007: Discussion paper on crab and rockfish post delivery IFQ/CQ transfers
JUN 2007: Discussion paper on BSAI Crab C shares
APR 2007: Remarks from binding arbitrator
APR 2007: 18 Month Review of Crab Rationalization Program; Council motion
APR 2007: Report on confidentiality and data quality protocols for BSAI crab economic data

OCT 2006: Discussion paper on crab coop vessel use caps; Council motion

JAN 2005: Post-buyback harvester denominators and instructions

DEC 2004: Council Comments to NMFS on crab rationalization proposed rule
MAY 2004: Crab arbitration system legal opinion
MAR 2004: BSAI Crab DEIS

NOV 2003: Preliminary draft of BSAI crab EIS
APR 2003: Initial review analysis on crab rationalization trailing amendments: community protection, binding arbitration; Council motion
APR 2003: Calculating allocations for harvester QS, captain QS
FEB 2003: Crab rationalization motion

DEC 2002: Initial review analysis on crab rationalization trailing amendments: captain’s QS, sideboards; Council motion
OCT 2002: Initial review analysis on crab rationalization trailing amendments: community protection, binding arbitration, captain QS, sideboards; Council motion
OCT 2002: Crab arbitration committee report and Crab captain QS Committee report
JUN 2002: Crab motion

Documents and Motions by Topic

Council Comments to NMFS on Crab Rationalization proposed rule 12/04
WHAT IS CRAB RATIONALIZATION? Information, regulations, and rules
FRFA: Crab Rationalization Program 2/05
Appendix 3: Social Impact Assessment of the EIS for the BSAI Crab Fisheries – Overview and Community Profiles, August 1, 2004
Appendix 1: RIR/IRFA Voluntary Three-Pie Cooperative Program for the BSAI Crab Fisheries 8/04
Final EIS for the Bering Sea Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crab Fisheries 8/04
BSAI Crab EIS 11/03
Crab Rationalization Motion 4/03
Calculating allocations under Crab Rationalization Harvesters, Captains 4/03
Crab Rationalization Trailing Amendments: Community Protection, Binding Arbitration 4/03
Crab Rationalization Motion 2/03
Crab Rationalization Motion 12/02
Crab Trailing Amendments Captain’s QS and Sideboards 12/02
Crab Rationalization Motion 10/02
Report to Council from Crab Arbitration Committee and Crab Captains QS Committee 10/02
BSAI Crab Rationalization Trailing Amendments: Community Protection, Binding Arbitration, Captain QS, Sideboards 10/02
Report to Congress (letter and attachment) 8/02
Council Crab Motion 6/02
Community Profiles, Volume 1: Unalaska, Akutan, King Cove; Volume 2: Sand Point, Adak, St. Paul, St. George 2/01

BSAI Crab Active Participation Requirements RIR/IRFA for Initial Review 2/13; Council Motion
BSAI Crab Cooperative Provisions for Crew Discussion Paper 2/13; Council Motion 2/13
BSAI Crab Cooperative Provisions for Crew Discussion Paper 10/12; Council Motion
Council Motion on Active Participation, lease rates, entry opportunities and crew provisions 12/11
Council Motion on Modification of cooperative, IFQ and IPQ application deadlines 4/11
Modification of cooperative, IFQ and IPQ application deadlines RIR/ IRFA for Initial Review 2/11; Council Motion
RIR/FRFA: Online transfers and crab individual processing quota transfers through automated, online submittals. 7/09
RIR: Regulatory Amendment to the Crab Rationalization Program, December 3, 2007
Council motion on BSAI Crab issues 6/09
Discussion Paper on Leasing Practices in the Crab Fisheries 6/09
Strawman elements and options for revision of 90/10 A share B share split 2/08
Council motion; 10/07
Council Motion 6/07
Council motion on vessel use caps 10/06

BSAI KTC AM26: Exempting C Shares from Processor Share and Regional Landing Requirements 2/08
C Share reallocation discussion paper 12/09
Crab management motion 6/08
BSAI Crab Management Motion 4/08
Requirements for C shares 4/08
Crab motion 2/08
Council motion active participation of C shares, C share exemption from regionalization,12/07
AM26 – C Share Split 12/07
Crab Motion 11/07
KTC C-share exemptions 10/07
BSAI Crab C shares 5/07

BSAI KTC AM27: RIR/IRFA Custom Processing Exemption
Council Motion: Aleutia PQS 2/13
Council Motion on Modification of cooperative, IFQ and IPQ application deadlines 4/11
Modification of cooperative, IFQ and IPQ application deadlines RIR/ IRFA for Initial Review 2/11; Council Motion
RIR/FRFA: Online transfers and crab individual processing quota transfers through automated, online submittals. 7/09
Council motion on BSAI Crab issues 6/09
Extinguishing processor shares discussion paper 6/09
St. George cooling off period and first refusal 4/08
BSAI Crab Management Motion 4/08
Crab Motion 2/08
Council motion 12/07
AM27 – Custom Processing Use Cap Exemption 12/07
Crab Motion 11/07
KTC processor use cap exemptions 10/07
Crab processing caps

Council Motion: Arbitration Discussion Paper 6/16
BSAI KTC AM30: Modify the Arbitration System and Categorical Exclusion; RIR/IRFA 6/11
BSAI KTC AM21: Binding Arbitration, 2/06
Golden King Crab Arbitration Workgroup Report, Discussion paper 10/12; Council Motion
Council Motion on Modifications to the arbitration system 10/12
Council Motion on Binding Arbitration 12/11
Arbitration package 4/08
Crab Motion 2/08
Binding Arbitration Report 4/07
Crab arbitration system legal opinion 5/04

Council Motion on Western Aleutian Island Red King Crab Stock Split 6/15
BSAI KTC AM20: Bairdi crab split, July 1, 2005

BSAI KTC AM37: An Exemption to West Region Landing Requirement in the Western Aleutian Islands Golden King Crab Fishery. January 5, 2011
RIR: Emergency Rule to Relieve Regional Delivery Requirements for the Western Aleutian Islands Golden King Crab Fishery, January 5, 2010
Exemption to West-Region Landing Requirement for WAG RIR/IRFA for Initial Review 12/10; Council Motion
Council Motion Exemption to West-Region Landing Requirement for WAG 4/10
Council Motion Emergency Exemption for WAG 4/10
Exemption to West-Region Landing Requirement for WAG RIR/IRFA for Initial Review 2/10; Council Motion
Council motion on BSAI Crab issues 6/09
WAI GKC fishery modifications discussion paper 6/09
BSAI Crab emergency exemption from regional landing requirements 2/09; Crab Emergency Exemption Motion 2/09
Exemption from Regional Landing Requirements Motion 10/08
BSAI Crab Management Motion 4/08
Crab Motion 2/08

Allocation of PQS to Aleutia Corporation, RIR/IRFA Public Review 10/14; Council Motion
Crab Right of First Refusal Contract Terms, RIR/IRFA Public Review 10/14; Council Motion
Crab Right of First Refusal Contract Terms, RIR/IRFA Initial Review 6/14; Council Motion
Modifications to Community Provisions (Right of First Refusal) RIR/IRFA for Public Review 2/13; Note on changes from Initial Review; Council Motion
Modifications to Community Provisions (Right of First Refusal) RIR/IRFA for Initial Review 10/12; Council Motion
Council Motion on Modifications to Community Provisions (Right of First Refusal) 12/11
Modifications to Community Provisions (Right of First Refusal) RIR/IRFA for Public Review 2/11; Council Motion
Modifications to Community Provisions (Right of First Refusal) RIR/IRFA for Initial Review 12/10; Council Motion
Modifications to Right of First Refusal RIR/IRFA for Initial Review 2/10; Council Motion
ROFR modifications discussion paper 6/09
St. George cooling off period and first refusal 4/08
BSAI Crab Management Motion 4/08
Crab Motion 2/08

Direction on Crab Cooperative Reporting 4/14; Council Motion
Letter to BSAI Crab Cooperatives on cooperative reports 2/27/13
Council Motion 2/13
Crab Coop vessel use caps 10/06

Analysis of Crab loan program 2/08
Crab Motion 2/08
Council motion from the December 2007 meeting on the Crab Rationalization Program (revised 12/27)

BSAI KTC AM28: RIR/FRFA Provision allowing post delivery transfers, May 21, 2009
Council motion 12/07
AM28 – Post Delivery Transfer 12/07
KTC Post delivery transfer of shares 10/07
Crab, rockfish post delivery transfers 6/07

Council Motion on Crab Economic Data Reporting 10/12
Crab Economic Data Reporting RIR/IRFA for Public Review 2/12; Council Motion
Modification to Crab Economic Data Reports RIR/IRFA for Initial Review 10/11; Council Motion
Crab Economic Data Collection Discussion Paper 4/11; Council Motion
Crab Economic Data Reporting Discussion Paper 10/10; Council Motion
Crab Economic Data Collection Discussion Paper 2/10; Council Motion
Crab Motion 2/08
Confidentiality and Data Quality Protocols for BSAI Crab Economic Data 4/07

Council Motions: Crab 10-Year Review
Workplan for the 10-year Program Review; Council document 2/15 , SSC document 4/15
Council Motion on BSAI Crab Program 5-year Review 12/10
Council motion on BSAI Crab issues 6/09
Council motion from the December 2007 meeting on the Crab Rationalization Program (revised 12/27/02)
Crab 18 month review motion 4/07
18 Month Review of Crab Rationalization Program 4/07
Crab 18 month review motion 4/07