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National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Regional Office

Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program

IFQ Resources

commercial fisherman with halibut
Longlining halibut. Photo: Elisabeth Babich, F/V Keta.
  • Online Services:

    • eLandings: Make landings for IFQ/CDQ crab, halibut and sablefish IFQ, and groundfish

    • NMFS Web Application: Check a vessel balance; report a landing (to be replaced by eLandings); print a receipt for a previous landing; make an ex-vessel volume and value report; renew an annual registered buyer permit; pay cost-recovery fees; view an IFQ landing ledger report; check a permit balance; view a registered buyer landing ledger report and a quota share holdings report.

IFQ Permits

An IFQ permit authorizes participation in fixed-gear harvests of Pacific halibut off Alaska, and most sablefish fisheries off Alaska. The permits are not specific to vessels. Permits are issued annually, at no charge, to persons holding fishable Pacific halibut and sablefish Quota Share (QS); or to those who are recipients of IFQ-only transfers from QS holders. Authorized pounds for annual IFQ permits are determined by the number of QS units held, the total number of QS units in the "pool" for a species and area, and the total amount of halibut or sablefish allocated for IFQ fisheries in a particular year. IFQ permits are authorized at 50 CFR Part 679.4(d).


Quota Share

Quota Share (QS) was initially issued to persons who owned or leased vessels that made legal commercial fixed-gear landings of Pacific halibut or sablefish during 1988-1990 off Alaska. QS is transferable to other initial issuees or to those who have become transferable eligible on NMFS' approval of an Application for Transfer Eligibility Certificate. Once issued to a person (at no charge), QS is held by that person until it is transferred, suspended, or revoked. QS permits are authorized at 50 CFR Part 679.4(d).


IFQ Area Charts


Related Programs and Services




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