Bristol Bay Regional Seafood

“All fishermen in the bristol bay driftnet fishery who are permit holders (other than the setnet fishermen) pay a self-imposed tax collected by the state of alaska, are voting members of the association.”

“All members have the right to vote for the governing body annually.”

“Staff and treasurer review the draft form 990 and recommend any revisions. Cpa firm presents to the finance committee or full board during a fall meeting before full board approval prior to filing.”

“The board of directors and the executive director are required to submit annual forms disclosing any possible conflict of interest. They are also required to disclose at any time during the year when a possible conflict of interest develops due to the association entering into, or considering, new business relationships. Members of the bbrsda board are not prevented from participating in programs offered to bristol bay fisherman because they are on the board, voted to establish the program, or otherwise participate in program administration, so long as they adhere to normal program requirements made applicable to all participants. Further, if a board member participates in such a program after it was advertised and made available to all bristol bay fisherman, then board status is not relevant to program participation and a conflict of interest need not be declared in further deliberations concerning program administration.”

“Board or executive committee discusses the compensation of the executive director during executive sesion in board meetings. The compensation deliberation and decision is documented in the board minutes.”

“Bbrsda posts on its website (open to the public) its articles of incorporation, enabling statute, bylaws, board minutes, approved audits, and summary budgets. It currently views its policies and procedures as its operational policies so does not post those to public view, though members are provided them upon request.”

“In may 2006 bristol bay driftnet permit holders voted pursuant to alaska statute 43.76.370 to approve a 1% seafood development tax on the ex-vessel price of seafood sold, the "assessment", on their harvests to support bbrsda. The tax is collected by the state and distributed to bbrsda. The collection and disbursement process, from the salmon season in which the tax is collected until the assessment amount is received by bbrsda, takes a year to complete. Because the funds are considered part of the state's general fund prior to distribution, bbrsda does not recognize them as support until the beginning of the state fiscal year in which they will be distributed to bbrsda. According to the alaska department of administration, the pass-through local option tax revenues appropriated from the general fund by the legislature (salmon development tax) is considered financial assistance for purposes of presentation in the schedule of state financial assistance as required by the state of alaska audit guide and compliance supplement for state single audits. However, the department of commerce, community and economic development (dcced) has provided bbrsda with written guidance on the nature of its revenues. Dcced, in consultation with the alaska department of law, considers bbrsda assessment to be "generated tax revenue". The written guidance from dcced states that the seafood development tax is not consdered state financial assistance and threfore not subject to the regulartory prohibitions provided by 3 aac 149.080. In preparing this return, bbrsda has classified the assessment as a governmental grant reportable on line 1e and not program service revenue reportable on line 2, pursuant to examples 1 and 2 of 'common types of program service revenue' section of the instructions for the form 990.”