Attitudes of Alaska Halibut Fishermen Toward IFQ Management
By Gunnar Knapp
ABSTRACT
This paper reports on attitudes of Alaska halibut fishermen towards the Alaska Halibut IFQ program which was implemented in 1995. The paper reports responses of halibut fishermen to three surveys. The first survey was conducted by telephone in 1994 prior to the implementation of the IFQ program; and the second survey was conducted by mail in 1997. For the third survey, conducted by telephone in 1998, respondents to the 1994 survey were recontacted, and a new random sample of current fishermen was also contacted. All three surveys included questions relating to respondents' attitudes towards IFQ management and relative preferences for IFQ management and other systems. Alll three surveys indicated that fishermen were sharply divided in their attitudes towards IFQ management. Those who received large initial allocations of IFQ tended to favor IFQ management. Those who received small initial allocations or no initial allocations tended to oppose IFQ management. Attitudes expressed towards IFQ management were significantly correlated with survey responses about other effects of IFQ management, such as the extent to which the IFQ program made fishing safer or the extent of high-grading. Not surprisingly, the survey results demonstrate that individual fishermen's attitudes towards IFQs reflect how they themselves expect to be or have been affected by IFQ management.
KEYWORDS:
 View Property Rights: In the Wake of IFQs Session
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