Catch share programs result in more consistent and predictable fisheries but do not necessarily improve ecological conditions, according to a new study published online this week by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Employed by nations around the world, catch shares – a management system that divides up and allocates percentages, or shares, of the total allowable catch to individual fishermen or fishing groups – have generated controversy as to whether they lead to better environmental stewardship than other fishery management options. The study, funded by the Lenfest Ocean Program, concludes that these programs help to eliminate erratic swings in fishing rates, catch landings and fish population sizes, among other factors, but may not necessarily lead to larger fish populations. This research is the most in-depth and comprehensive study of the ecological impacts of catch share programs in North America.
Publication of this research coincides with the public-comment period for the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) draft catch share policy, which evaluates catch share programs under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the nation’s primary fisheries law. NOAA’s draft policy “encourages the consideration and adoption of catch shares wherever appropriate in fishery management and ecosystem plans and amendments and will support the design, implementation, and monitoring of catch share programs.