Catch Shares | NOAA Fisheries

Catch Shares | NOAA Fisheries
Catch Shares
Catch shares are a type of fishery management.
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The term catch share refers to fishery management strategies that allocate a portion of the total allowable fishery catch to individuals, cooperatives, communities, or other entities. Recipients must not exceed their allocation.
There are many types of catch shares such as limited access privilege programs (LAPPs) and  individual fishing quotas (IFQ). Catch shares include other exclusive allocative measures, such as Territorial Use Rights for Fisheries (TURFs) that grant an exclusive privilege to fish in a geographically designated fishing ground.
Current Programs
There are currently 17 catch share programs across the country. NOAA Fisheries encourages the consideration and adoption of catch shares where appropriate. We work with regional fishery management councils to develop new programs when the councils determine they are needed.
Programs by Council Region
New England
Atlantic Sea Scallops IFQ
(2010)
New England Multispecies Sectors
(2010)
Mid-Atlantic
Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog (1990)
Golden Tilefish (2009)
Atlantic Highly Migratory Species
Individual Bluefin Tuna Quota
(2015)
South Atlantic
Wreckfish
(1991)
Caribbean
No catch share programs
Gulf
Red Snapper
(2007)
Grouper and Tilefish
(2010)
North Pacific/Alaska
Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program
(1992)
Individual Fishing Quota  Halibut and Sablefish
(1995)
Bering Sea AFA Pollock Cooperative
(1999)
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crab
(2005)
Aleutian Islands Pollock
(2005)
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Groundfish (Non-Pollock) Cooperatives - Amendment 80
(2008)
Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish
(2011)
Pacific Cod Trawl Cooperative Program
(2023)
Pacific
Pacific Sablefish Permit Stacking
(2001)
West Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization
(2011)
Western Pacific
No catch share programs
Resources
Alaska Region
Community Quota and License Programs and Community Quota Entities
Southeast Region
Limited Access Privilege Programs/Data Management Branch
More Information
NOAA Catch Share Policy (PDF, 26 pages)
Design and Implementation of Catch Share Programs
The Design and Use of Limited Access Privilege Programs
Guidance for Conducting Review of Catch Share Programs (PDF, 18 pages)
Catch Shares 101
Glossary: Catch Share Terms
Frequent Questions: Catch Shares
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Catch Shares
Catch shares is a general term for several fishery management strategies that allocate a specific portion of the total allowable fishery catch to individual fish
Office of Sustainable Fisheries
on January 27, 2026
Catch Shares