Max Out Pounds in IFQ Areas

1 Introduction to the Allocation (Max Out) IFQ Area Feature
2 When should I use the Max Out (Allocate the Area) pounds function?
3 When should I use the Area/Fishery identification function?
4 Allocation (max out) IFQ Area Rules
5 Statistical Area Reporting:
6 Reporting Examples:
7 How to Download and Print this Article as a PDF
8 Support Contact:

Introduction to the Allocation (Max Out) IFQ Area Feature

IFQ shareholders are assigned one permit for each species they hold quota for - sablefish or halibut. However, if a person holds quota share in multiple regulatory areas, the permit will not match up the IFQ pounds available in each area, it will display the entire QS pounds held on the permit.

Debiting of poundage to a specific regulatory area occurs within the eLandings system when users identify the state statistical area that harvest occurred in.
When the vessel crew holds multiple IFQ permits and reports harvest in more than a few statistical areas, accurately debiting specific poundage to an IFQ quota area can become quite complex.
This is especially true if quota share is held in more than one Regulatory Area for any permit holders.

The ability to debit specific poundage is crucial as permit holders approach the remaining balance of pounds on their permit. The Max-Out pounds feature allows users to assign a specific number of pounds on one IFQ permit while the remaining balance is assigned to a second or third IFQ permit that has pounds within the same regulatory area.

The eLandings System has been designed to identify the specific IFQ Area/Fishery (also known as IPHC areas) where pounds should be debited.

In many cases, you will not find it necessary to use the Lbs. to Max-out IFQ Permit.
Likewise, in many cases, you will not find it necessary to use the Area/Fishery identification.
In more complicated IFQ landings, you may find it necessary to manually edit the itemized catch section of the eLandings application.

This document is designed to help you determine the best method to use the application features.

When should I use the Max Out (Allocate the Area) pounds function?

The Max out Pounds function should be used when you have two or more IFQ permit holders with quota in the same IFQ Regulatory Area, and one of the IFQ permit holders wants to allocate or max-out a specific amount of pounds on a specific permit.

When should I use the Area/Fishery identification function?

When you have more than one IFQ permit holder, in multiple IFQ Regulatory Areas, but not all the permit holders have quota in all the areas fished.

The third IFQ permit holder has quota only in 3A. In this case, the poundage will be divided equally for 3A harvests between the three permit holders. The 2C harvest will be allocated to the first two IFQ permit holders. The poundage amounts will be determined by the statistical areas fished and the percentage of harvest from each IFQ regulatory area.

The ability to assign poundage to a specific fishery area does have rules. Knowing these rules should assist you in using this feature.

Allocation (max out) IFQ Area Rules

The information submitted to the eLandings system must be a true and accurate reflection of fishing activity.

Feature Relationships:

The allocation to area/fishery is part of the IFQ Permit Worksheet and should only be used with IFQ halibut, sablefish, and rationalized crab fishery programs.

Within the CFEC Permit Worksheet, the percentage (1.) will divide harvest between multiple CFEC permit holders' fish tickets. If the Lbs. to max-out IFQ permit feature is not used, the division of harvest, including IFQ harvest, will be divided according to the percentage established in the CFEC Permit Worksheet.

Within the IFQ Permit Worksheet, the Area/Fishery (2.) will allow you to allocate poundage to quota in a specific Regulatory Area. If you use this feature with the Lbs. to max-out IFQ permit (max-out) feature, specific poundage will be debited. If you use the Area/Fishery feature without specifying poundage in the max-out feature, the percentage division will apply, but to the Regulatory Area of quota only.

The Statistical Area Worksheet (3.) assigns harvest pounds to specific areas. If you use this feature, the statistical areas reported must be within the Regulatory Areas where the quota is assigned.

The Stat Area within the itemized catch display window allows you to assign poundage to a specific stat area, and/or to a specific fish ticket, if needed. Harvest poundage assigned to a specific statistical area in the itemized catch section of the eLandings System will override the Statistical Area Worksheet (3.). Any harvest line item assigned to a specific fish ticket will override the CFEC permit Worksheet (1.) and the IFQ Permit Area/Fishery (2.) assignment.

Just remember, if you assign a specific fish ticket number (which is linked to a specific CFEC Permit, and/or a specific Stat Area to a specific amount of pounds) that specific assignment dominates any assignments in the Landing Report, Vessel, Permit, and Location Information of the eLandings System.

There are some circumstances shown when the system cannot determine how to allocate pounds to the permits. In those cases, you will be required to enter a Stat Area on the itemized catch lines.

To summarize:

Area/Fishery has to be entered when using the Max out feature
The Percentage feature allocates harvest to fish tickets.
The Area/Fishery allocates IFQ harvest to specific Regulatory areas. If the Lbs. to Max-out IFQ Permit is also used to record specific poundage, this allocation takes precedence over the percentage allocation.
The Statistical Area Worksheet allocates poundage to individual statistical areas. The allocation to the statistical area is applied to the entire catch, followed by the allocation to fish tickets by percentage. If the IFQ species are allocated in the IFQ Permit Worksheet, or in the itemized catch, this allocation affects the IFQ species and takes precedence over (overrides) the Statistical Area Worksheet and the Percentage allocation.
The CFEC Permit Worksheet is directly related to the assignment of the harvest to the fish ticket. The IFQ Permit Worksheet is directly related to the assignment of IFQ quota to specific permits and area quota.

The following examples explain the rules in greater detail:

Each NMFS ID individual or Master Operator that is selling IFQ product must have a CFEC permit, and the entire off-load shall be documented on one landing report. The eLandings System allows the user to document multiple CFEC permit/NMFS ID individuals.
Do not create more than one landing report for one off-load from a vessel for each CFEC Permit Holder or IFQ Permit Holder.
Each IFQ quota share account must document the NMFS ID number, the IFQ Permit number, and the species associated with the IFQ permit.
If all IFQ Quota and all harvest occurred in one IFQ Regulatory Area, irrespective of the number of IFQ Permit shareholders, and no assignment of poundage to a specific permit is needed, no Area/Fishery identification is required. The eLandings System default is an equal division of poundage to each IFQ permit

Both permit holders have quota in the same reporting area and they will equally divide the poundage of their catch. The eLandings system will automatically divide the catch and any bycatch.
If the Permit Holder have quota in the same reporting area but with the divide the poundage of their catch unequally, the percentage feature can be used. The eLandings system will divide the catch and bycatch. In this example, the percentages are 25/75.

The IFQ Permit Worksheet Lbs. to Max-out (or allocate) permit may be used only when more than one IFQ permit is associated with the landing report and with the IFQ Regulatory Area. If you want to allocate or max out the poundage the Area/Fishery must be identified and the allocated pounds. In the example below, the two IFQ permit holders have quota in 2C. The first IFQ permit holder wants to allocate (max out poundage) to 2C. The balance of the harvest from 2C will be automatically allocated to the second IFQ permit holder.

It is possible to allocate one IFQ Permit with quota in more than one IFQ Regulatory Area. In the example below, the two IFQ permit holders have both quota in 2C and 3A. The first IFQ permit holder wants to allocate (max out poundage) to 2C. The balance of the harvest from 2C will be automatically allocated to the second IFQ permit holder. The harvest for 3A will be split between the two permit holders.

Note that any additional permits for a permit holder have to have the fishery area listed if there is a max out pound allocation. The second permit holder does not have to have the fishery areas listed since there is quota in both fishery areas.

The eLandings system will require you to enter statistical areas in the itemized catch lines if multiple fishery areas are used and there are limitations on some of the permits to assure that the permits are allocated properly.

Statistical Area Reporting:

The eLandings application determines automatic assignment of poundage to a specific IFQ Regulatory Area by the reported statistical area of harvest.
If you use the Statistical Area Worksheet, poundage for all harvest will be allocated to (divided between) the statistical areas by the percentages you record.
If you assign statistical areas to itemized catch these assignments will override the Statistical Area Worksheet.
The statistical areas of harvest must accurately reflect the areas of harvest and must correspond to IFQ permit quota share. As an example, you cannot request that the eLandings System assign poundage to Halibut Regulatory Area 2C if you did not fish and report a statistical area that is in this area.
If you attempt to assign poundage to IFQ Permit quota share areas that do not correspond to the reported statistical areas, an error message, such as the example below will be returned by the system.

In this case, the statistical areas reported on the Statistical Area Worksheet are in Halibut Regulatory Area 3B, while the Area/Fishery reported was 2C and 3A.
You can check the Regulatory area for any IFQ fishery from this link:

Reporting Examples:

The following are examples of how you would want to use the eLandings features to accommodate different situations:

Example 1: One CFEC permit and one IFQ permit with quota in one regulatory area

You will not need to identify the Area/Fishery as the quota will be fully debited from the one Regulatory Area. You cannot use the Lbs. to Max-out IFQ Permit, as you do not have a second IFQ permit to assign the balance of the poundage. The statistical areas of harvest must be within the Regulatory Area for the IFQ quota.

Example 2: Two CFEC permits and two IFQ permits with quota in one regulatory area with no max out

You will not need to identify the Area/Fishery as the quota will be fully debited from the one Regulatory Area. In the example above, all poundage - IFQ and bycatch will be divided equally between the two IFQ permits and the two CFEC permits (fish tickets). The statistical areas of harvest must be within the Regulatory Area for the IFQ quota.

Example 3: Two CFEC permits and two IFQ permits with quota in one regulatory area - maxing out one permit

You can use the Lbs. to Max-out IFQ permit, if you want specific poundage debited from one IFQ permit. Simply add the Area/Fishery and the poundage for one IFQ permit. The balance of the pounds will be assigned to the second IFQ permit.