Can Catch Shares Prevent Fisheries Collapse?

Photos

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Photo link	Photo description	Photo credit
	A fisherman prepares to empty a trap of Alaskan king crab into the hold of a fishing vessel. The transition of this fishery to Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) in 2005 consolidated the fleet and reduced the “race to fish”,but created contention over share allocations. The fishery is currently under review for possible revision.	Valerie Craig, Marine Photobank
	A worker processes Alaskan king crab on Amaknak Island, in the Aleutian Islands. The transition of this fishery to Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) in 2005 consolidated the fleet and reduced the “race to fish”,but created contention over share allocations. The fishery is currently under review for possible revision.	Valerie Craig, Marine Photobank
	A haul of orange roughy sits in the hold of a New Zealand-based fishing boat. This slow-growing species can live for as many as 150 years. Orange roughy stocks originally responded poorly to the Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) implemented in 1986. However, due to a readjusted catch limit, stocks have rebounded by more than 60% compared to historical lows.	Jeremy Prince
	New Zealand fishermen unload a trawl net full of orange roughy. This slow-growing species can live for as many as 150 years. Orange roughy stocks originally responded poorly to the Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) implemented in 1986. However, due to a readjusted catch limit, stocks have rebounded by more than 60% compared to historical lows.	Jeremy Prince
	A New Zealand trawler prepares to unload a haul of orange roughy, while a previous haul awaits processing on the deck. This slow-growing species can live for as many as 150 years. Orange roughy stocks originally responded poorly to the Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) implemented in 1986. However, due to a readjusted catch limit, stocks have rebounded by more than 60% compared to historical lows.	Jeremy Prince
	A New Zealand rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii. This fishery has been managed under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) since 1990. Faced with an unexpected decline in numbers, rock lobster fishermen banded together and voluntarily reduced their total catch by half. Within ten years the stocks doubled, and fishermen were able to raise the limit back to its previous level.	Daryl Sykes, © New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council
	A New Zealand-based fisherman shows off two large rock lobsters. This fishery has been managed under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) since 1990. Faced with an unexpected decline in numbers, rock lobster fishermen banded together and voluntarily reduced their total catch by half. Within ten years the stocks doubled, and fishermen were able to raise the limit back to its previous level.	Daryl Sykes, © New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council
	A New Zealand-based fisherman sorts a fresh catch of rock lobsters aboard his vessel. This fishery has been managed under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) since 1990. Faced with an unexpected decline in numbers, rock lobster fishermen banded together and voluntarily reduced their total catch by half. Within ten years the stocks doubled, and fishermen were able to raise the limit back to its previous level.	Daryl Sykes, © New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council
	A chef prepares a certified New Zealand rock lobster. The fishery supports a “from water to waiter”ecolabeling and certification program to guarantee product quality, food safety, and environmental sustainability. This fishery has been managed under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) since 1990. Faced with an unexpected decline in numbers, rock lobster fishermen banded together and voluntarily reduced their total catch by half. Within ten years the stocks doubled, and fishermen were able to raise the limit back to its previous level.	Daryl Sykes, © New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council
	Fishermen pose with their catch of halibut in Homer, Alaska, in the 1930s. By 1994, efforts to control overfishing had limited the halibut season to a three-day sprint, during which fishers often cut their gear loose in order to race to port with their haul. Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) were implemented in 1995, and now the season lasts up to eight months, and ‘ghost fishing’ from lost gear has decreased from more than 1.2 million pounds per season to approximately 0.25 million pounds per season.	Tom Brandt, Flickr Creative Commons license
	Chef Douglas Katz of Fire Restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio prepared this dish of halibut with mango, asparagus and tomato. Alaskan halibut has experienced a dramatic recovery from near-collapse since its management transitioned to “individual transferable quotas” (ITQs) in 1995. In recent years, fish from well-managed, sustainable fisheries have become a focal point for many gourmet chefs and diners alike.	Stu Spivack, Flickr Creative Commons license
	Whiting is one of 20 species managed under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) in southern Australia. These abundant food fishes are among the 10 most commonly fished species in the ocean.	Ippei Naoi, Flickr Creative Commons license
	Anchovy is one of 68 fisheries managed under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) on the New Zealand Shelf. Anchovy is among the most ecologically sound fish choices available to New Zealand residents according to the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, a conservation organization that publishes a biennial ‘Best Fish Guide’.	Jill Matsuyama, Flickr Creative Commons license
	Anchovy is one of 68 fisheries managed under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) on the New Zealand Shelf. Anchovy is among the most ecologically sound fish choices available to New Zealand residents according to the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, a conservation organization that publishes a biennial ‘Best Fish Guide’.	Abigail Powell, Flickr Creative Commons license
	Pollock, Pollachius virens, is among the most commercially important fish in the Northwest Atlantic, and is one of five fisheries on the Canadian Scotian Shelf managed under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs).	Anders Steen Nilsen, Flickr Creative Commons license
	A sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria, commonly known as Alaskan black cod) beckons seafood lovers at the Wild B.C. Seafood Festival in Steveston, British Columbia. Managed under Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) in the Gulf of Alaska since 1990, fishermen are now catching the same amount of sablefish using approximately 40% fewer hooks in the water. [Note: Sharing the display with the sablefish is a salmon (foreground) and several sardines (left and right sides), neither of which are managed under ITQs.]	Suhzn, Flickr Creative Commons license
	A fishing fleet rests under cloudy skies in Húsavik, Iceland. This small island country is a leader in implementing Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs), having transitioned 23 of its fisheries since 1975. This is second only to New Zealand, where 68 fisheries are managed under ITQs.	Rana Banerjee, Flickr Creative Commons license
	Fishing is a cornerstone of the economy in Húsavik, Iceland. This small island country is a leader in implementing Individual Transferable Quotas” (ITQs), having transitioned 23 of its fisheries since 1975. This is second only to New Zealand, where 68 fisheries are managed under ITQs.	Dustin Warrington, Flickr Creative Commons license