The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued Opilio Tanner crab processing caps to individual American Fisheries Act (AFA) inshore processor and mothership entities, according to James W. Balsiger, Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS. Each entity's Opilio Tanner crab processing cap was determined by multiplying the non-CDQ pre-season guideline harvest level (GHL) of 19,269,000 lbs. by the percentage of the 1995 - 1998 total Opilio Tanner crab harvest that was processed by facilities owned or controlled by the entity. In accordance with 50 CFR 679.4(l)(4)(ii)(E) and 679.4(l)(5)(iv)(F), each inshore processor or mothership entity signed a waiver allowing the public release of the 1995 - 1998 total processing history of each BSAI King and Tanner crab species.
The identity of each AFA inshore processor or mothership entity, and its list of associated crab processing facilities, was based on information submitted to NMFS by each applicant for an AFA inshore processor permit or AFA mothership processor permit. The identity of each AFA inshore processor or mothership entity, the crab processing facilities covered by the entity's cap and the Opilio Tanner crab processing limits are listed below in accordance with 50 CFR 679.65(f).
Individual Processing Caps Issued to Each AFA Inshore Processor or Mothership Entity and the Crab Processing Facilities Covered By the Entity's Cap
| Entity and Facilities | Percentage | Opilio Limit (Pounds) |
| ICICLE SEAFOODS ENTITY P/V Bering Star (F0137) P/V Arctic Star (F0138) P/V Coastal Star (F1140) Northern Victor (F1319) | 10.456% | 2,014,828 |
| MARUHA CORPORATION ENTITY Western Alaska Seafoods, Kodiak (F0320) Alyeska Seafoods, Dutch Harbor (F0753) Westward Seafoods, Dutch Harbor (F1366) | 11.787% | 2,271,230 |
| PETER PAN/NICHIRO ENTITY Peter Pan Seafoods, King Cove (F0142) P/V Blue Wave (F1636) | 10.083% | 1,942,947 |
| UNISEA SEAFOODS/NIPPON-SUISAN ENTITY UniSea Seafoods, Dutch Harbor (F1180) UniSea Seafoods, St. Paul (F0188) P/V Omnisea (F1066) | 9.463% | 1,823,378 |
| TRIDENT SEAFOODS ENTITY Trident Seafoods, Akutan (F0939) Trident Seafoods, Sand Point (F0942) Trident Seafoods, St. Paul (F1927) P/V Alaska Packer (F0944) P/V Sea Alaska (F0945) F/V Bountiful (F0947) F/V Northern Enterprise (F9713) F/V Western Enterprise (F9716) F/V Glacier Enterprise (F9720) F/V Royal Enterprise (F9723) | 23.545% | 4,536,855 |
The sum of all the entity processing caps is 12,589,238 lbs or 65.334 percent of the pre-season GHL. This means that no less than 6,679,762 lbs or 34.666 percent of the pre-season GHL is reserved for non-AFA processors.
This information bulletin provides notice of a regulatory change. Do not rely upon it to guide you in complying with the regulatory change.
