Sustainable fisheries management is a core pillar of a climate-resilient fishery. Some of the best examples of well-managed fisheries around the world are those that include secure fishing rights. These management systems allocate a secure share of the fisheryin the form of quota and/or areato fishers and communities, fortifying their abilities to serve as stewards of the marine environment. 

EDF has a suite of tools and resources to help you design a secure fishing rights program in your community, as well as case studies highlighting secure fishing rights programs around the world.

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Global Spotlights of Rights-based Management Programs

Explore the design possibilities of rights-based management programs by reading these reports of diverse fisheries around the world that have tailored these programs to meet their unique needs.

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Secure fishing rights are used around the world and fundamentally find ways to align fishers’ incentives with long-term sustainability, which can set a strong foundation for climate resilience. Rights-based management can be implemented through a variety of methods including community-based TURFs, allocated quota, and cooperative models.  

A secure fishing rights program—also known as rights-based management or a "catch share"—allocates access to a fishing area or a share of a fishery's total allowable catch to a group or an individual. Programs establish appropriate controls on fishing mortality and hold participants accountable to their limits

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