CDQ groups pass review with flying colors

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

“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,” said Commissioner Julie Sande, of the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED).

The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires a periodic review of CDQ groups to ensure they are fulfilling program objectives. Beginning in 2012 and recurring every 10 years, 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 DCCED, with input from the departments of Fish and Game and Labor and Workforce Development, reviewed self-evaluation reports submitted by each CDQ entity to determine performance.

The Western Alaska CDQ program, established in 1992, is a federal fisheries program managed by the National Marine Fisheries Service that offers coastal villages in western Alaska the opportunity to 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. These 65 communities within a 50-mile radius of the Bering Sea coast participate in the program through the six CDQs.

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