United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2004-02-25 monographic deposited born digital 18 p. GA 1.13:GAO-04-487T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-487T P0b002ee1803768b4 f:d04487t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-487T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-487T GAO-04-487T Fishery legislation Fishes Fishing industry Marine resources conservation Strategic planning Wildlife management Economic analysis Program evaluation Alaska Testimony A09363 To address overfishing, the National Marine Fisheries Service started using individual fishing quotas (IFQ) as a fishery conservation and management tool in 1990. Under an IFQ program, a regional fishery management council sets a maximum, or total allowable catch, and allocates the privilege to harvest a certain portion of the catch in the form of quota to individual vessels, fishermen, or other eligible recipients. IFQ programs have achieved many of the desired conservation and management benefits, such as helping to stabilize fisheries, reducing excessive investment in fishing capacity, and improving safety. However, concerns have been raised about the economic effects of IFQ programs on fish processors and fishing communities, among others. This testimony is based on two GAO reports on issues related to the use of IFQs (Individual Fishing Quotas: Better Information Could Improve Program Management, GAO-03- 159, Dec. 11, 2002, and Individual Fishing Quotas: Methods for Community Protection and New Entry Require Periodic Evaluation, GAO-04-277, Feb. 24, 2004). Specifically, GAO addressed the (1) economic effects of the Alaskan halibut IFQ program on processors and (2) the methods available for protecting communities under an IFQ program. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-487T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-487T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-487T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-487T.pdf GAO-04-487T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-487T Testimony GAO-04-487T; Individual Fishing Quotas: Economic Effects on Processors and Methods Available to Protect Communities; Fishery legislation Fishes Fishing industry Marine resources conservation Strategic planning Wildlife management Economic analysis Program evaluation Alaska