CVRF announces 20 communities will participate in Community Quota Share Program

Two brothers Glenn Joe Jr. and Levi Joe working on the North Sea. For Levi, this is his first time joining the crew but Glenn has worked on both the Bering Sea and North Sea in prior years. Photo courtesy of CVRF

Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF) announced today (May 25, 2021) all twenty of its communities will take part in its Community Quota Share Program, providing significant economic growth opportunity for residents. Through the Community Quota Share Program, each community owns a portion of crab quota that was acquired from the Mariner Companies. CVRF is helping to harvest the crab quota for the communities using its existing infrastructure and the communities will receive payments based on the total crab sold.

The Community Quota Share Program stems from an agreement formed earlier this year when CVRF and Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation (BBEDC) bought out the Mariner Companies fleet and communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and Bristol Bay acquired 3% of crab quota in the Bering Sea fishery.

For the 2021 crab season, CVRF caught more than 700,000 pounds of opilio crab. CVRF’s residents are expected to see the financial benefits of this program in summer 2021.

“Through this deal all 20 of our communities are coming together to have direct ownership of the Bering Sea fishery, allowing them to invest profits back into their villages and address any critical needs they see fit,” said Eric Deakin CEO of CVRF. “We’re proud to support the communities as they decide how they want to operate their quota and begin to build equity in the crab fishery. With a promising opilio crab season, we are hopeful for the future of the program and the opportunities it will provide for CVRF residents now and into the future.”

“Making the decision to join CVRF’s Community Quota Share Program came naturally,” said Fred K. Philip, Board Member for CQS 4, LLC representing Kwigillingok. “After years of working with CVRF’s leadership, we trust that this is a step in the right direction. We know the value of a program like this and couldn’t possibly pass it up. We’re all looking forward to seeing the ways this program fuels our communities in the future. Throughout the years, fish quota has made all the difference for our residents. We know this program will only enhance the opportunities for rural Alaskans.”

“One perfect example of the Community Quote Share Program at work is a pair of brothers Glenn Joe Jr. and Levi Joe from Hooper Bay that work on our fleet,” said Rudy Tsukada, Chief Operating Officer of CVRF. “These two gentlemen are not only catching crab on behalf of CVRF and the 20 communities who are a part of the Community Quota Share program, but they are also specifically catching crab from quota which is owned by the community of Hooper Bay. This type of involvement in the program reveals the job opportunities offered to individuals in these communities, helping them to flourish economically.”