Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQ) is another fisheries
management tool designed to maintain fish stocks
while supporting the U.S. fishing industry and the
economy.
An IFQ is a federal permit to harvest a quantity
of fish, usually expressed as a percentage of a fishery's
total allowable catch. This IFQ may be held for exclusive
use by a person or corporation. A person's quota
can be leased, sold or transferred.
These IFQs apply to fishing for fish or shellfish
in a specific area within a specified time.
In the U.S., IFQs are incorporated into four fisheries, they include:
| Fishery |
Location |
Implemented |
| Surf clam/ocean quahog shellfish fishery |
Mid-Atlantic |
1990 |
| Wreckfish fishery |
South Atlantic |
1992 |
| Sablefish fishery |
Alaska |
1995 |
| Halibut fishery |
Alaska |
1995 |
