Allocation is a cross-cutting challenge that has risen to priority status with the rapidly approaching deadlines for the implementation of annual catch limits (ACLs) and accountability measures (AMs). Allocation discussions and decisions are unique to each fishery and are shaped by innumerable natural, social and economic factors. Despite these differences, all allocation decisions address the fundamental question of how to distribute a limited renewable resource among user groups. Allocation decisions introduce new challenges as well as opportunities. By identifying similarities and differences between the regional councils’ experiences with allocation, managers can engage in discussions about the underlying goals, philosophies and priorities that shape management of the fisheries in. | FISHERIES Leadership Sustainability ALLOCATION ACROSS THE REGIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCILS Fisheries Leadership Sustainability Forum Stanford 2010 Forum September 19-22 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface and terminology 2 Acronyms 3 Tables 5 Executive Summary 6 Section 1 New England Fishery Management Council 9 Section 2 Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council 12 Section 3 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 15 Section 4 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council 18 Section 5 Caribbean Fishery Management Council 21 Section 6 Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council 23 Section 7 Pacific Fishery Management Council 26 Section 8 North Pacific Fishery Management Council 29 Appendix 1 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Allocation Policy 33 Appendix 2 Excerpt Pacific Fishery Management Council Groundfish 36 Strategic Plan Appendix 3 Excerpt Pacific Fishery Management Council Pacific Coast 37 Groundfish Fishery Management Plan Resources Resources 38 1 PREFACE The following report is an overview of allocation issues decisions and challenges across the eight regional fishery management councils. Allocation is broadly defined in the context of this report to include council actions which affect a group of stakeholders ability or privilege to harvest fishery resources in federal waters. This definition includes allocation issues that are framed as such as well as council decisions that are not intended as allocation decisions but have the effect of indirectly allocating catch to a group of stakeholders defined by location gear type or some other shared characteristic. Each of the following regional profiles highlights experiences with allocation as well as qualities of the allocation decisionmaking process that managers and stakeholders have identified as important to the region. The Fisheries Forum recognizes that allocation is an ongoing discussion at all eight of the regional councils. Each profile represents a snapshot in time. This report is not .
