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The range of seafood you receive and process will determine your Operation type and there are a number of different licenses and permits that may be required. The State of Alaska requires that all buyers of seafood product obtain an annual Intent to Operate license, commonly referred to as the ADF&G Processor License Code. Please carefully review this documentation and the ADF&G allowable activities matrix to help determine your correct business type.
Processors or receivers of federally managed groundfish species must obtain a Federal Processors Permit (FPP). Buyers or receivers of IFQ halibut or sablefish must obtain a federal Registered Buyers Permit (RB); and each receiver of rationalized crab must obtain a Registered Crab Receiver (RCR) permit. The Crab Rationalization Program is exclusive to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Island (BSAI) king and tanner crab fisheries.
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An At-Sea operation is a Catcher/Processor, Mothership, or floating processor that is receiving or processing fish in State waters and/or in waters of the EEZ off the coast of Alaska away from an established port. At-Sea operations can also do custom processing or receiving for another operation.
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Catcher Seller
A Catcher Seller operation is a vessel that catches and sells unprocessed or limited processed catch to individuals (e.g. via dockside sales) for personal consumption, or to other fishers for bait, but not for resale. Catcher Seller operations cannot do custom processing for others, nor can they have custom processing done for them.
Buyer Exporter
A Buyer / Exporter operation receives catch from fishers, but exports the catch without processing the catch into other products. They can export within or out of country. Since Buyer/Exporter operations do no processing they cannot do custom processing. However, they can have custom processing done for them by another operation.
Catcher
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Exporter
A Catcher Seller Exporter operation is a vessel that catches and sells their own unprocessed or limited processed catch to individuals (e.g. via dockside sales) for personal consumption, or to other fishers for bait, but not for resale. Catcher Seller operations cannot do custom processing for others, nor can they within or out of the country. Catcher Exporter operations can have custom processing done for them and export that catch. However, they cannot processor or do custom processing for others. Cannot purchase.
Direct Marketer
A Direct Marketer operation is a vessel that catches and sells their own unprocessed or processed catch within or out of the country. Direct Marketer operations can have custom processing done for them but they cannot custom process for others. Cannot purchase. The ability to process their own catch is the only difference between this and the Catcher Exporter.
Custom Processing Owner
Groundfish
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