Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Individual transferable quotas: theory and practice

  • Paper
  • Published:
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The paper examines the theory and practice of individual transferable quotas (ITQs) in fisheries. Using the experience of several countries, a number of ITQ programmes are examined with respect to fisher compliance and their effect upon economic efficiency, employment, the harvesting shares of fishers, cost recovery and rent capture.Footnote 1

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. This paper was prepared for a general readership including fisheries managers and scientists. Readers interested in a more theoretical treatment are referred to Arnason (1990) and Boyce (1992).

References

  • Anderson, L.G. (1991) A note on market power in ITQ fisheries. J. Env. Econ. Manage. 21, 229–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, L.G. (1994) Highgrading in ITQ fisheries. Mar. Resource Econ. 9, 209–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnason, R. (1986) Management of the Icelandic demersal fisheries. In Mollet, N., ed. Fishery Access Control Programs Worldwide. Fairbanks: University of Alaska, Alaska Sea Grant Report No. 864, pp. 83–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnason, R. (1990) Minimum information management in fisheries. Can. J. Econ. 23, 630–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnason, R. (1993) Iceland's ITQ system. Mar. Resource Econ. 8, 201–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnason, R. (1994) On catch discarding in fisheries. Mar. Resource Econ. 9, 189–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, J.R. (1992) Individual transferable quotas and production externalities in a fishery. Nat. Resource Modelling 6, 385–408.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, H.F. (1981) The Public Regulation of Commercial Fisheries in Canada: Case Study No. 5, the Bay of Fundy Herring Fishery. Ottawa: Canada Ministry of Supply and Services, Economic Council of Canada tech. Rep. No. 20, 43 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christy, F.T., Jun. (1973) Fisherman quotas: a tentative suggestion for domestic management. Law of the Sea Institute, Univ. Rhode Island, Occ. Pap. No. 19, 6 pp.

  • Clark, I., Major, P.J. and Mollett, N. (1988) Development and implementation of New Zealand's ITQ management system. Mar. Resource Econ. 5, 325–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coase, R. (1960) The problem of social cost. J. Law Econ. 3(2), 1–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copes, P. (1986) A critical review of the individual quota as a device in fisheries management. Land Econ. 62, 278–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowan, T. (1990) Fisheries Management on Lake Erie. Unpubl. Report, Canadian Dept Fisheries and Oceans, Toronto, 28 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crowley, R.W. and Palsson, H. (1992) Rights based fisheries management in Canada. Mar. Resource Econ. 7, 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruickshank, D. (1991) A Commission of Inquiry into Licensing and Related Policies of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Vancouver. 113 pp. (no doc. no.)

  • Dales, J.H. (1968) Pollution, Property and Prices. Toronto: Univ. Toronto Press. 111 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dewees, C.M. (1989) Assessment of the implementation of individual transferable quotas in New Zealand's inshore fishery. N. Am. J. Fish. Manage. 9(2), 131–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dupont, D.P. (1990) Rent dissipation in restricted access fisheries. J. Env. Econ. Manage. 19(1), 26–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, M. (1988) Enterprise allocation system in the offshore groundfish sector in Atlantic Canada. Mar. Resource Econ. 5, 389–414.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geen, G. and Nayar, M. (1988) Individual transferable quotas in the southern bluefin tuna fishery: an economic appraisal. Mar. Resource Econ. 5, 365–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, H.S. (1954) Economic theory of a common property resource: the fishery. J. Political Econ. 62, 124–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grafton, R.Q. (1992a) Rent capture in an individual transferable quota fishery. Can. J. Fish. Aquatic Sci. 49, 497–503.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grafton, R.Q. (1992b) Rent capture in rights based fisheries. PhD thesis, Dept Economics, Univ. British Columbia. 180 pp.

  • Grafton, R.Q.(1994) A note on uncertainty and rent capture in an ITQ fishery. J. Env. Econ. Manage. 27, 286–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grafton, R.Q. (1995) Rent capture in a rights based fishery. J. Env. Econ. Manage. 28, 48–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannesson, R. (1988) Fishermen's organisations and their role in fisheries management: theoretical considerations and experiences from industrialised countries. In Studies on the Role of Fishermen's Organisations in Fisheries Management. FAO Fish. tech. Pap. No. 300, pp. 1–27.

  • Heaps, T. (1993) A note on minimum information management in fisheries. Dept Economics Discussion Paper 93–13, Simon Fraser Univ., Burnaby, BC. 15 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kearney, J.F. (1983) Common tragedies: a study of resource access in the Bay of Fundy herring fisheries. MES thesis, Inst. Resource Env. Studies, Dalhousie Univ. 441 pp.

  • Kusuda, H. (1993) ITQ fishery under uncertainty. PhD thesis, Dept Economics, Univ. British Columbia. 134 pp.

  • Lindner, R.K., Campbell, H.F. and Bevin, G.F. (1992) Rent generation during the transition to a managed fishery: the case of the New Zealand ITQ system. Mar. Resource Econ. 7, 229–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mace, P.M. (1985) Catch rates and total removals in the 4WX herring purse seine fisheries. Canadian Atlantic Fisheries Scientific Advisory Committee, Research Document 85/74. 31 pp.

  • Macgillivray, P.B. (1990) Assessment of New Zealand's individual transferable quota fisheries management. Ottawa: Canadian Dept Fisheries and Oceans, Economic and Commercial Analysis, Report No. 75. 19 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munro, G.R. and Scott, A.D. (1985) The economics of fisheries management. In Kneese, A.V. andSweeny, J.L.eds. Handbook of Natural Resource and Energy Economics, Vol. 2. Amsterdam: North Holland, pp. 623–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muse, B. and Schelle, K. (1988) New Zealand's ITQ program. Report CFEC 88–3, Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, Juneau. 46 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muse, B. and Schelle, K. (1989) Individual fisherman's quotas: a preliminary review of some recent programs. Report CFEC 89–1, Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, Juneau. 122 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pascoe, S. (1993) Individual transferable quotas in the Australian South East trawl fishery. Mar. Resource Econ. 8, 395–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, A.T. (1955) The fishery: the objectives of sole ownership. J. Political Econ. 63, 116–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, A.T. (1989) Conceptual origins of rights based fishing. In Neher, P.A., Arnason, R. and Mollett, N. eds. Rights Based Fishing. Dordrecht: Kluwer, pp. 11–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scott, A.T. (1993) Obstacles to fishery self-government. Mar. Resource Econ. 8, 187–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharp, D.C. and Roberts, P.R. (dy1991) Task force review of fisheries legislation. A submission prepared for the New Zealand Fishing Industry Board and presented to the New Zealand Government Task Force of Fisheries Legislation.

  • Smith, V.L. (1969) On models of commercial fishing. J. Political Economy 77, 181–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Squires, D., Kirkley, J. and Tisdell, C.A. (1995) Individual transferable quotas as a fisheries management tool. Rev. Fish. Sci. 3, 141–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephenson, R.L., Lane, D.E., Aldous, D.G. and Nowak, R. (1993) Management of the 4WX herring fishery: an evaluation of recent events. Can. J. Fish. Aquatic Sci. 50, 2742–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warming, J. (1911) Om grundrente af fiskegrunde. Nationaløkonomisk Tidsskrift 49, 499–505.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilen, J.E. (1989) Rent generation in limited entry fisheries. In Neher, P.A., Arnason, R. and Mollett, N., eds. Rights Based Fishing. Dordrecht: Kluwer, pp. 249–62.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, University of Ottawa, Station A, PO Box 450, K1N 6N5, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    R. Quentin Grafton

Authors
  1. R. Quentin Grafton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Grafton, R.Q. Individual transferable quotas: theory and practice. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 6, 5–20 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00058517

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00058517

Keywords

Search

Navigation