Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers

What Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers does

Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC) is a non-profit industry trade association founded in 2009 and headquartered at 4005 20th Ave W, Suite 102, Seattle, WA. It represents the majority of independent crab harvesters who commercially fish with pot gear for red king, snow (opilio), and bairdi (Tanner) crab in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, including multi-generational fishing families and associate members such as shipyards, banks, gear manufacturers, and fuel suppliers. The organization's core technology and operating context is the underlying Bering Sea pot-gear fishery itself — large steel crab pots (7 ft × 7 ft, 700+ lbs) with biodegradable escape twine, vessel-based live holding tanks, and shoreside processing plant delivery — rather than any proprietary software or product platform.

ABSC's business model is a hybrid of membership dues (subscription-style recurring revenue from harvester and associate members) and project-based federal grant funding, exemplified by its NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant (NA22NMF4270163) covering September 2022 through August 2023. It does not sell crab directly; instead it operates a community-led go-to-market model built on regulatory advocacy, science-based policy input, and public education via a website (alaskaberingseacrabbers.org), YouTube film series, and active presence on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, supplemented by a small ABSC Gear merchandise store on Square.

The organization is staffed by a three-person team — Executive Director Jamie Goen, Science Advisor/Policy Analyst Cory Lescher, and Executive Assistant Dana Rudy — and collaborates strategically with the Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation, NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Seafood Harvesters of America, United Fishermen of Alaska, and the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network. ABSC has no commercial software products, no app, no API, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities; its value to members is institutional representation and stewardship narrative authority over a 75-plus-year fishery that has produced $2.5 billion in red king crab value between 1975 and 2018.

Name

Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers

Legal name

Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers

Website

https://alaskaberingseacrabbers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers is a non-profit trade association founded in 2009 that represents the majority of independent Bering Sea crab harvesters and associate members, advocating for sustainable fisheries, science-based policy, and harvester economic stability.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fisheries Trade Association

NAICS

Shellfish Fishing (114112), Fishing (11411)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Trade association
• Fisheries advocacy
• Sustainable fisheries
• Commercial crabbing
• Fishery management

Headquarters

HQ city

Wausau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ABSC generates revenue through membership dues from crab harvesters (families, business owners, fishermen) who participate in Bering Sea crab fisheries. Members include both regular harvesters and associate members (shipyards, banks, gear manufacturers, fuel suppliers).
2. NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant: Federal grant funding from NOAA Fisheries Saltonstall-Kennedy Program used to support organizational activities including social media content creation and fisheries advocacy work. Award period September 2022-August 2023 under award NA22NMF4270163.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC) is a non-profit industry trade association representing the majority of independent crab harvesters who commercially fish with pot gear for king, snow (opilio), and bairdi (Tanner) crab in the Bering Sea. The organization advocates for sustainable fisheries, sound science, economic stability, and safety in crab fisheries by bringing fishermen's input into regulatory and decision-making processes at regional and national levels. Revenue is generated through membership dues and federal grants such as the NOAA Saltonstall-Kennedy grant.

Product overview

Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC) is a non-profit industry trade association rather than a product company. ABSC does not offer a commercial product or software platform. The organization advocates for sustainable crab fisheries, provides educational content about crab species (red king crab, bairdi/Tanner crab, and snow/opilio crab), shares crab recipes and nutrition information, and operates a merchandise shop (ABSC Gear Store) using a third-party Square e-commerce site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ABSC Gear Store

Quantifiable outcome

• 854 million pounds of red king crab harvested between 1975 and 2018, worth $2.5 billion
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bering Sea Fisheries Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSFRF collaborates with ABSC on research initiatives for Bering Sea crab fisheries. The foundation conducts scientific research to support sustainable fisheries management and resource conservation.
• National Marine Fisheries ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOAA Fisheries works with ABSC on regulatory and decision-making processes for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands crab fisheries. They provide the framework for sustainable fisheries management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
• Alaska Department of Fish and GamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADF&G collaborates with ABSC on crab management in Alaska waters, including Bristol Bay and Kodiak Archipelago. They provide scientific data on crab populations and regulate commercial fisheries.
• Seafood Harvesters of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational seafood harvesting industry organization that works with ABSC on broader fisheries policy and sustainable seafood initiatives across the United States.
• United Fishermen of AlaskaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide commercial fishing industry organization representing Alaska fishermen, including ABSC members, on regulatory and policy matters affecting Alaska fisheries.
• Alaska Ocean Acidification NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork addressing ocean acidification impacts on Alaska marine ecosystems and fisheries. Collaborates with ABSC on research and conservation efforts for Bering Sea crab sustainability.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Marine Stewardship Council: Global sustainability certification and eco-labeling organization for wild-caught and farmed seafood. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but operates in the same 'sustainable seafood' narrative space ABSC is investing in for its members' product positioning.

Broad incumbents

• National Fisheries Institute: Largest U.S. trade association for the seafood industry, covering the full wild-caught and aquaculture value chain. Broader incumbent than ABSC, but uses a similar dues-funded advocacy model targeting federal seafood and fisheries policy.

Direct peers

• Pacific Shellfish Growers Association: Pacific Northwest shellfish aquaculture trade association covering Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Comparable regional shellfish-industry trade association model, though focused on aquaculture rather than wild harvest like ABSC.
• Freezer Longline Coalition: Alaska-based trade association representing catcher-processor vessels that participate in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands fisheries. Comparable in representing a subset of Alaska commercial fishing operators in regulatory processes.
• Seafood Harvesters of America: National seafood harvesting industry organization that works with ABSC on broader fisheries policy and sustainable seafood initiatives across the United States. Direct peer in membership association model and federal-level advocacy.
• United Fishermen of Alaska: Statewide Alaska commercial fishing industry trade association that represents Alaska fishermen (including many ABSC members) on regulatory and policy matters. Most directly comparable peer given its similar advocacy-only, dues-funded, member-association model focused on Alaska fisheries.
• At-Sea Processors Association: Seattle-based trade association representing at-sea processors in the Alaska pollock and Pacific cod fisheries. Similar structure — industry trade association working with NOAA Fisheries on rationalized catch share programs — and overlapping member ecosystem with ABSC.
• Pacific Seafood Processors Association: Trade association representing Alaska seafood processors operating in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Closely comparable in mission and region to ABSC, with similar engagement with NOAA Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.
• Groundfish Forum: Alaska-based cooperative of fishing companies participating in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries. Comparable as an Alaska fisheries trade organization advocating for sustainable catch allocations and rationalized management.

Others

• North Pacific Fishery Management Council: Federal regulatory body that sets catch limits for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands fisheries under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Not a peer organization but the primary counterparty in ABSC's regulatory advocacy and resource-management work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@alaskaberingseacrabbers
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlaskaBeringSeaCrabbers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alaska-bering-sea-crabbers
• Instagraminstagram.com/alaskacrabbers
• Xx.com/AlaskaCrabbers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers