Advanced Harvesters Cooperative

The cooperative conducts activities with the purpose of improving the efficiency of the aquaculture operations of its members. The cooperatives members are engaged in the business of the aquaculture and each member owns crab individual fishing quota shares that were awarded under the Bering Sea and Aleutian Island Crab Rationalization Program. Under the Fishermens Collective Marketing Act, the owners of the crab fishing quota shares can voluntarily form a cooperative to act as an agent for the quota share owners in order to arbitrate pricing disputes and to apply for permits under which crab maybe harvested by the cooperative members. The primary purpose of the FCMA is to promote efficiency in the management of fishing quota ownership. The cooperative is also responsible for collecting information for the issuing of reports to the government agency, National Marine Fisheries.