Commercial Fishing Reporting

Statewide COAR Buying by Species
Commercial Operator's Annual Reports (COAR)

Data Source: OCEANAK ADF&G COAR Buying Subject Area. Confidential data are omitted.

Data from Commercial Operator's Annual Reports. The first buyer of raw fish, persons who catch and process fish, persons who catch and have fish processed by another business, and the first exporter of a fishery resource are required to file an annual report of their purchasing and processing activities. This report is called the Commercial Operator's Annual Report (COAR) and is due by April 1 of the following year. The National Marine Fisheries Service also requires COAR reports from processing vessels operating in federal waters of the Exclusive Economic Zone. The COAR reports contain data on seafood purchasing, production, and both exvessel and wholesale values of seafood products. The buying information from COAR is reported by species, area of purchase, condition of fisheries resources at the time of purchase, type of gear used in the harvest, pounds purchased, and exvessel value.

Exvessel average prices are reported in nominal dollars and have not been adjusted for inflation.

The exvessel value in COAR includes any post-season adjustments or bonuses paid after the fish was purchased. Prices represent a weighted average price per pound by species and area. Prices may reflect a mixture of gear types and delivery conditions.

Note on volume: Please note that not all processors complete the buying section of the COAR. Catcher-processors, direct marketers, EEZ-Only operations and other permit types that do not buy product are not required to fill out the COAR section of the report. For more information on which permit types have to fill out the COAR please see the Allowable Activities Matrix.

Any dissemination of the data must credit ADF&G as the source, with a disclaimer that exonerates the department for errors or deficiencies in reproduction, subsequent analysis, or interpretation.

For questions concerning this data please email dfg.dcf.info@alaska.gov.