Abstract:
On January11, 2011, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) instituted a catch
share program for the West Coast groundfish trawl fishery. The program was intended to
create a more sustainable fishery and increase economic efficiency through the use of
individual fishing quotas and fishing cooperatives. While there are extensive plans to
assess the effectiveness of the program over the next several years, there are additional
impacts that have emerged that warrant further consideration. This research focuses on
areas that were not the primary focus of the PFMC and National Marine Fisheries Service
in designing the program, but which may have important effects on other stakeholders of
the program. This study sets up a framework that is then used to conduct preliminary
analyses on four emerging impacts. The objective of this work is to add to the body of
knowledge assessing the catch share program and to further efforts aimed at minimizing
negative socioeconomic effects of the program.
