At the end of March the fishing vessel Kristiana will leave Seattle for the rich halibut fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska. For the time being, she is moored at Fisherman's Terminal, along with the majority of the halibut fleet. The boat's primary owner, John Crowley is having the crew's quarters and engine room overhauled as part of the winter maintenance.

"John always keeps the boat in good shape," says Michael Offerman, crewmember and Crowley's son-in-law. Built in 1945, the 69-foot halibut schooner's pilothouse bristles with radar, GPS, and Fathometer screens. The steering column was replaced last winter; there is even a flat screen television in the cramped galley.

Crowley, 58, credits his ability to invest in the Kristiana to the jump in halibut prices after individual fishing quotas replaced the derby-style fishing seasons in 1995. Under the quota system, total allowable catch is set for a species, and boat owners with quotas are allowed to fish up to their own quota or they can lease the quota to another owner to fish.

Today, halibut fishermen are able to market their product over eight months, rather than flooding the market after a two week long season.

Before the quota system, there were too many boats, too few fish, and not too much of a living, said Crowley. But at the time, an owner "couldn't find a buyer even if you wanted to get out."

Like the Kristiana, the core of the North Pacific fishing fleet is based in Seattle. They harvest the fisheries of the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska, some of the richest in the world. Their annual catch accounts for half of all the fish caught in American waters. Bering Sea Walleye Pollock is the single largest fishery in the world, and its population is at a record high.

"The Alaskan fisheries are in quite good shape," said Ray Hilborn, professor of fisheries management at the University of Washington. "We have a management system that is not going to let the stocks go down.

"If your system is set up right conservation is in the interest of the industry," Hilborn said. "If you eliminate the (derby-style) race, then the fox is safe to guard the henhouse."

The Alaskan fisheries are shedding the old derby style seasons, and are replacing them with individual fishing quota programs. This has led to a consolidation of boats in those fisheries, such as crab and halibut.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council sets the total allowable catch limits for all Alaskan fisheries, except for halibut. That is determined by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Both are widely regarded as models of proper management. No other U.S. fishery has successfully implemented quota systems.

The North Pacific Council has a reputation for abiding by the catch limits recommended by its science advisors.

"I have not seen where there has been a ganging up of votes to override the scientific opinion," said Bob Alverson, a former councilmember and vice-chairman. Currently, he is director of the Fishing Vessel Owners' Association.

Nevertheless, he expects to see a 20 percent to 30 percent reduction in Pollock and cod quotas in the Bering Sea over the next two years.

"They don't know if it's due to global warming," Alverson said, "but there does seem to be an increased temperature in the water column in the Bering Sea that is driving the Pollock further north than we've ever seen before."

"Climate change is a very big cause for concern," said Hilborn.

A new system of conservation management is being considered. The new ecosystem-based management program is radically different from the species-specific system in place now. It would require a significant boost in data collection of the fisheries, according to a paper issued by Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2005.

The Alaska fisheries are currently closely regulated by eight agencies. The bulk of the enforcement is done by the National Fisheries Marine Service and the Coast Guard. In the Kristiana's wheelhouse is a two-inch thick three-ring binder filled with permits and licenses. Few fisherman complain about the regulations.

"I think about half of the regulations result in over-regulation," Alverson said. "We work with the North Pacific Council, the Pacific Council, the International Pacific Halibut Commission, and Washington, D.C. people, and sometimes they are all doing something independent of each other. That's one of the problems; there's a lack of coordination on where these regulations come from and if they overlap.

"We don't mind those things that have a great deal of functionality to them," he said.

Rising fuel prices are cutting into boats profitability.

"A number of boats are tying up and leasing their quotas" rather than pay for fuel up to Alaska, said Arni Thompson, director of the Alaska Crab Coalition, which represents both fishermen and processors.

Rising interest rates have taken the biggest bite out Crowley's revenue. Purchasing quotas is expensive, and most fishermen take out 25 year loans from the National Fisheries Marine Services. These can run up to over $1,000,000. Over the past year and a half, Crowley's rate has risen by 3.5 percentage points.

"The bottom line for us is what fish prices are," said Jack Knutsen, a halibut boat owner. "As long as prices are high, you can still absorb the costs."

Dan Catchpole may be reached at bnteditor@robinsonnews.com

Dan Catchpole