NOAA released today for public comment a draft national policy encouraging the use of
catch shares, a fishery management tool that aims to end overfishing and rebuild and sustain
fishing jobs and fishing communities. In doing so, NOAA recognized that catch shares are not a
panacea or one-size-fits-all solution, but are a proven way to promote sustainable fishing when
designed properly at the fishing community level.
We have made great progress in rebuilding many fisheries, but more than 20 percent of
our fish stocks have not been rebuilt, and an even larger proportion of our fisheries are not
meeting their full economic potential for the nation, Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke said.
“Catch shares are a tool that can help us realize the full economic and biological benefits of
rebuilt fisheries.
Catch share programs, which include Limited Access Privilege programs and individual
fishing quotas, have been used in the U.S. since 1990 and are now used in 13 different
commercial fisheries. Four new programs will begin over the next year. NOAA estimates that
rebuilding U.S. fish stocks would increase annual commercial dockside values by an estimated
$2.2 billion, a 54-percent increase over current dockside values of $4.1 billion, and help support
jobs in the seafood industry and across the broader economy.
From Florida to Alaska, catch share programs help fishing communities provide good
jobs while rebuilding and sustaining healthy fisheries and ocean ecosystems, said Dr. Jane
Lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.
Although this is a national policy, our emphasis is on local consideration and design of catch
shares that take into consideration commercial and recreational fishing interests.
A catch share program differs from traditional fishery management by dividing up the
total allowable catch in a fishery into shares. These shares are typically allocated based on
historical participation in the fishery. They may be assigned to individuals, cooperatives,
communities or other entities, who would be allowed to fish up to their assigned limit. Catch
share participants also agree to stop fishing when they have caught as much as they are
allowed.
Under traditional management programs, fishermen compete for a total allowable catch.
This has lead to fishermen racing each other to catch as many fish as they can before the total
catch limit is reached. This results in more boats and gear than necessary, quotas being
exceeded, increasingly shorter fishing seasons, unsafe fishing and high levels of bycatch. It also
may result in too many fish brought to market at once, reducing their market value to fishermen
and coastal communities.
Catch shares allow fishermen to plan their businesses better and be more selective
about when and how they catch their allotment, because they know their share of the fishery is
secure, said Dr. Jim Balsiger, acting administrator of NOAAs Fisheries Service. They can plan
their fishing schedules in response to weather, market, and individual business conditions.
Catch share programs help eliminate the race to fish, reduce overcapacity and bycatch,
enhance the safety of fishermen and their vessels, and improve economic efficiency. They also
help ensure fishermen adhere to annual catch limits because the value of their share is directly
linked to the overall health of the fish stock and its habitat.
While catch shares are not always universally embraced when they are first introduced,
their benefits have been well proven. We fought against the program right up until the time it
passed, said Alaska fisherman Rob Wurm, referring to the halibut and sablefish catch share
program, which began in 1995. But to my surprise, it really has worked well. It has created a lot
of stability, stopped the race for fish and changed the fishing environment in ways that have
made it safer and allowed us to avoid bycatch.
Halibut fishermen had been reduced to a fishing season of less than a week just before
the North Pacific Fishery Management Council introduced an individual fishing quota program.
Under this catch share program, fishermen have a quota they can catch over a season that now
runs from March to November. The program has dramatically reduced fishing accidents,
extended the sale of fresh halibut for a premium price, given fishermen time to avoid bycatch of
undersized halibut and other bycatch and promoted sustainable management of the fishery. The
program has reduced the number of people holding fishing permits while providing those in the
industry with more stable and sustainable jobs.
Members of NOAAs Catch Shares Policy Task Force, which includes participants from
each of the eight councils as well as NOAA experts, provided significant input on the draft
policy.
Among the policys components:
Development of a catch share program is voluntary. NOAA will not mandate the use of
catch shares in any commercial, recreational, or subsistence fishery.
The individual fishery management councils will consult fishing communities to evaluate
the data, effects, and enforceability of any potential catch share program before moving
forward. In some cases, councils may find catch shares not to be the most appropriate
management option.
NOAA will provide leadership and resources and work in partnership with fishery
management councils, states and members of the public to help with the implementation
of catch shares. This includes assisting fishing communities as they make the transition,
and conducting regional workshops, online seminars, and other educational and
outreach programs.
Well thought-out and developed catch share programs will promote sustainable fishing
communities by supporting good jobs, and promoting preservation of wharfs, processing
facilities, and fuel and ice suppliers.
Catch share programs can be designed to set aside shares to allow new participants into
the fishery, including new generations of fishermen, small businesses, or others.
NOAA encourages those councils adopting catch shares to consider a royalty system to
support science, research and management as fisheries become more profitable under the
program. NOAA will also seek appropriated funds to supplement what may be collected through
cost recovery and royalties to assist in the design, transition period and operation of catch share
programs.
I commend NOAA and its National Marine Fisheries Service on the inclusive makeup of
the Catch Share Task Force and its willingness to openly address the concerns of task force
members, said George Geiger, a recreational fisherman from Florida who served on NOAAs
Catch Share Task Force. From my personal perspective, I do not see catch shares as the
secret for ending overfishing, especially in the reef fishery in the South Atlantic. But certainly it is
a tool which could be considered for controlling fishing effort. I also encourage the public to take
a look at the draft policy and make comments to help improve this national policy.
Source: NOAA
