Use of an Arbitration System for Price Determination in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Fisheries

In the summer of 2005, fishing began under a novel management program in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab fisheries. To protect processor and community interests, the program requires harvesters to land their catch with processors having historic participation in the fisheries. This requirem...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fina, Mark
Format: Other/Unknown Material
Language:English
unknown
Published: International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/conference_proceedings_or_journals/9880vr78f
Description
Summary:In the summer of 2005, fishing began under a novel management program in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab fisheries. To protect processor and community interests, the program requires harvesters to land their catch with processors having historic participation in the fisheries. This requirement effectively prevents processor competition for landings as a price determinant in the fisheries. As a substitute for market competition, the program established a controversial arbitration system for resolving price disputes. This paper examines the performance of the arbitration system under the program to date. The paper also examines whether some of the issues with the arbitration system might be correctable either through modification of the arbitration system or without regulatory intervention. Keywords: Crab fisheries, Price determination, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, Processor competition, Arbitration system, Fisheries Economics