Creating Individual Fishing Quotas, or IFQs, will ultimately make commercial fishing safer and ensure the long-term sustainability of the region's fishing resources. Current rules force fishermen to take risks on weather and defer boat maintenance because they compete with each other for a limited annual quota. An IFQ plan will give existing fishermen a specific share of the catch. It will not only help them secure financing to maintain their boats, but it will remove the urgency to get to sea first, stay longer and take risks. The quotas, however, need to protect fishermen as much as the fish.
Permits ought to be distributed initially to current boat owners.
They should be distributed to boats across different size categories. Finally, they should require that permit-holders be aboard ship when fishing. With these conditions, IFQs represent a key step forward in resource protection. Congress should move ahead on this issue soon.