"Catch shares" likely will grow as a primary management tool for commercial fisheries — but the concept may not prove workable for the recreational sector, federal fishery managers say.
Catch shares now used in 13 U.S. fisheries affect only commercial harvesters, Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said in a Dec. 10 briefing.
"Most catch-share programs are focused on the commercial sector," Lubchenco said in the conference-call session. "We don’t have any recreational fisheries using this type of management."
Typically, a commercial fishery closes completely when the season ends or when the annual quota of fish is taken.