Catch Share Plan for Mid-Atlantic Golden Tilefish (2009)

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 mandates the use of annual catch limits and accountability measures to end overfishing and provides for market-based fishery management through limited access privilege programs (LAPPs). The Act defines individual fishing quotas (IFQs) as one type of limited access privilege and provides tools and guidance for fishery managers to design and implement such programs. Amendment 1 to the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) implemented the first IFQ program in the Nation after the passage of the Act. These quotas allow each eligible fisherman to catch a specified portion of the total allowable landings (TAL). The purpose of the Tilefish IFQ program is to reduce overcapacity in the commercial fishery and to eliminate, to the extent possible, the problems associated with derby fishing. In developing this Amendment, the Council considered many complex alternatives before determining the final options. Of utmost importance was the issue of determining eligibility criteria and share allocation procedures. Other complex and often-controversial issues included transferability and duration of ownership (temporary or permanent); share accumulation; fees and cost recovery; reporting and monitoring requirements; and flexibility to adjust the IFQ system via a framework adjustment process.