Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Lobster Hui

Ralph Townsend, Sam Pooley,

and Raymond Clarke

Workshop on Fisheries Co-ops and Beyond

Anchorage, Alaska

June 23-24, 2003

NWHI Lobster Fishery

• Spiny and slipper lobsters

• Max. landings 2.3 million pounds in 1985

• 16 vessels max. (in 1985)

• 1998 prices: $5.55 for Spiny, $3.94 for slipper

• 4-6 week trips

• Mostly Alaskan crab, Hawaii longline boats

NWHI Lobster Management

• Fishery began in 1976• Western Pacific Council mgt. since 1983• 1991 Amendment 7

– Quota, sum of spiny + slipper (resource decline in late 1980s due to climatic change)

– Limited entry to 15 vessels (12 owners). Probably 5-10 vessels optimal.

– July 1-December 31 season (or when quota exhausted

Administrative Issues

• December 1992 “window” opening

• “Use-it-or-lose-it” clause in Amend. 7

• 1994 in-season quota adjusted from 200,000 to 20,900 after 130,000 caught

Stalled Management

• By 1997, 21-day derby fishery

• MSFCMA ITQ moratorium (several wanted IQ/ITQ)

• Ban on consolidation in Amend. 7 (active sales; indirect consolidation)

• MSFCMA fee provisions blocked buy-out

The “Hui”• 1998, 14 of 15 boats entered agreement• 4 boats to fish, to target live for higher prices• 25% of quota to each vessel; 25% at Necker to

each vessel• 20% to compensate other 10 vessels• 1 share for bare permit; 6 shares for permit with

vessel and gear• $5000 payout to permit; $30,000 to permit and

vessel• Negotiated in “hours”

Agreement not renewed

• 15th permit transferred to new entrant

• Low prices, in part due to Asian crisis

• Loss of vessel and catch at Kure

After the Hui

• 1999 derby with 6 vessels• 2000 closed due to quota-setting issues (industry

concurred)• Clinton marine reserve declaration would have

capped landings at 2000 level (!)• 2001-present. Closed, officially due to

uncertainty over quota.• Some talk of permit buy-out.• Native Hawaiian rights issue in background

Lessons

• Low cost to negotiate and enforce

• Higher prices important

• Hold-out a problem

• Knew about Pacific whiting co-op

• Is even 12 (really 8-10?) too large to hold voluntary group together?