During the past 12 years fishery managers responsible for federal fisheries off
Alaska have developed and implemented three new fishery management limited
access/quota share programs in place of traditional open access management. The three
limited access programs are unique but each provides for the allocation of quota shares
to individual participants in the halibut and sablefish longline fishery, in the Bering Sea
pollock trawl fishery and in the Bering Sea king and Tanner crab fishery, respectively.
New management programs are briefly described and contrasted with traditional
management. For each of the three fisheries, management changes over time have
generated substantial changes in fishing fleets, their operations, crew employment,
economics and safety records. Under quota share management, fleet consolidations have
occurred, particularly in the more over capitalized fisheries. The intense speed and
inflexible timing associated with open access fisheries have greatly lessened as have the
risk taking and incentives to maximize fishing power. Active vessel economic viability has strengthened due to a combination of increased efficiency, higher product yields,
reduced costs, greater crew stability and safer operations
