Subcommittee tables proposal to cut seller-representative fee for vessel owners

At the May meeting, committee member Rob moved to recommend lowering the annual seller-representative fee from $500 to $250 for boat owners and captains who only represent their own fish; John seconded the motion. Rob said a lower fee would reduce barriers for small vessels and serve as a hands-on educational opportunity for fishermen. "Maybe, instead of charging the $500...a discount, say, like, $250 fee to become a seller rep to rep only your own fish," Rob said.

Manager Robert and other board members outlined the administrative burden the exchange absorbs when a representative handles sales: IT setup, dedicated workstation and training, follow-up calls when lots scratch or trucking fails, and paperwork created by after-auction adjustments. Robert told the committee that the staff workload often exceeds what the $500 fee covers. "$500 doesn't come close to covering in a year what we end up doing managing a seller reps fish," he said.

Members voiced competing priorities. Several said they supported lowering barriers for fishing crews; others warned the exchange cannot absorb additional administrative costs without compensation or guardrails to avoid frequent one-off enrollments. Mary stated she would abstain on the underlying fee motion because she serves as a seller representative and that presents a conflict.

Meredith moved to table the motion for further study and discussion at a subsequent subcommittee meeting; the motion to table was seconded and carried. The subcommittee asked staff to gather cost estimates for onboarding and managing seller representatives and to propose possible eligibility or activity requirements to prevent sporadic enrollments.