State Completes Decennial Review of Western Alaska Community Development Quota Groups

(JUNEAU) – The State of Alaska has completed its decennial review of the Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups and determined that all six have maintained or improved performance with respect to criteria outlined in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 2006.

Established in 1992, the Western Alaska CDQ Program is a federal fisheries program managed by the National Marine Fisheries Service that provides coastal western Alaska villages with the opportunity to participate and invest in Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) fisheries. Through the CDQ Program, eligible communities are allocated a percentage of all BSAI quotas for groundfish, prohibited species, halibut, and crab. 65 communities within a fifty-mile radius of the Bering Sea coastline participate in the program through six regionally driven organizations.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires a periodic review of CDQ groups to ensure they are fulfilling program objectives. Beginning in 2012 and recurring every ten years thereafter, the State of Alaska evaluates CDQ group performance based on four criteria encompassing socioeconomic characteristics, financial performance, workforce development, and implementation of annual harvest plans. A decennial review evaluation team led by the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) with input from the Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development reviewed self-evaluation reports submitted by each CDQ entity to determine performance.

“We are pleased to report that each of the six CDQ groups were determined to have maintained or improved their overall performance with respect to the program criteria,” said DCCED Commissioner Julie Sande. “Through investments in areas like student scholarships, training programs, local employment, and development of fisheries-related infrastructure, the CDQ program continues to support healthy economies in the communities they serve.”