A concern of the drafters of the Limited Entry Act was that permits should remain accessible to new entrants, especially younger Alaskans. This section examines ages of permit holders, transferors, and transfer recipients over the lifetime of the limited entry program. Excluded from the data are non-transferable permits and permits which were foreclosed upon by the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development (DCCED) or the Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank (CFAB).
If no permits were transferred at all, the mean and median age of permit holders would logically increase by one year, each calendar year. Transfer recipients of a younger age can counter that increase, or conversely older transfer recipients can add to the increase in mean or median age of permit holders. Each permit reflects the age of the permit holder; therefore, a person’s age may be used more than once in the calculations.
The following tables provide information about the ages of permit holders, transferors and transfer recipients.
Statewide annual mean and median ages for all transferable permit holders, transferors, and transfer recipients are shown in Table 4-01 for the years 1975–2023. The table presents the number of transferable permits (excluding foreclosed permits), the mean and median age of all permit holders, the number of transfers, the mean and median age of the transferor, the mean and median age of the transfer recipient, and the mean age difference between the transferor and transfer recipient. The number of transfers and the mean and median age calculations exclude individuals with missing birth date information.
Table 4-02 provides the same information as Table 4-01, but by permit type. The count of transferable permits excludes foreclosed permits. Mean age calculations exclude individuals with missing birthdate information. Age information is confidential when there are fewer than four permits in the permit type or less than four permit transfers within the permit type in a year. A pair of asterisks indicate these instances.
Table 4-03 presents the number of transferable permits and the mean and median age of all transferable permit holders by resident type. Resident type definitions can be found in Chapter 3. The annual number and mean and median age of all transferors and transfer recipients by resident type are also displayed. The count of transferable permits excludes foreclosed permits. The transferor count represents the number of transfers from the resident type. The transfer recipient count likewise represents number of transfers to a resident type. Mean and median age calculations exclude individuals with missing birth date information.
Table 4-04 divides transferable permit holders into six age classes: all permit holders age 20 and under; age 21 to 30; age 31 to 40; age 41 to 50; age 51 to 60; and all permit holders over the age of 60. The annual age distribution of permit holders by resident type is presented. Resident type definitions can be found in Chapter 3. Mean and median age calculations exclude individuals with missing birth date information.
Table 4-05 breaks out the number of permits and mean ages by each permit type and by resident type. Resident type definitions can be found in Chapter 3. Age information is confidential when there are fewer than four permits in the permit type, or fewer than four permits held by a resident type, or less than four permit transfers within the permit type in a year. A pair of asterisks indicate these instances.