Alaska Groundfish Data Bank (AGDB) is a member-based organization that has represented Gulf of Alaska (GOA) shoreside trawl catcher vessels and processors, primarily based in Kodiak, since 1986. A decade after the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) went into effect and fisheries management was in its infancy, our founder Chris Blackburn realized that fishermen were going to need data to help manage their fisheries and inform policy. She also knew that fishermen and processors both need each other to stay in business, so bringing them together was important. From those beliefs, AGDB was born and we remain unique among member organizations in Alaska’s fisheries by representing both harvesters and processors. Kodiak is a working commercial fishing town, consistently one of the top ports in the Nation, and because of this Kodiak relies on both healthy harvesters of all gear types and processors to keep the community healthy and whole. 

We are a diverse organization; our members participate primarily in federal GOA groundfish fisheries such as pollock, cod, rockfish, and flatfish. Others also fish Bering Sea (BS) pollock and cod. Some of our GOA-based members also participate in state fisheries, and/or operate multiple gear types, and rely on salmon tendering in the summer. Our work supports our members and helps ensure healthy, sustainable fisheries and coastal communities for generations to come. Our roles include: 

• Analyzing policy and representing our members at the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (NPFMC), and to a lesser extent the Board of Fish
• Data Analysis and Reporting, including GOA and BSAI Weekly Catch Reports, Fisheries Outlooks and Summaries, and Bycatch reports
• Fishery management, including managing voluntary catch share agreements, salmon hotspot reporting, and Rockfish Program Intercooperative and Cooperative manager. 
• Research and Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP)s, including cooperative research with Alaska Fisheries Science Center, pelagic pollock Trawl Electronic Monitoring (EM) program, Rockfish EM, etc.

Links to More Fishery Resources:

North Pacific Fisheries Management Council
NOAA Catch and Landings Reports
Gulf of Maine Research Institute
EM4Fish
Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers
Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance (APFA)