Allocation Key

An allocation key is the fixed rule that divides a total allowable catch among the parties sharing a stock, usually expressed as each party’s percentage of the TAC. In the EU Common Fisheries Policy this key is the relative-stability share, set on historic catch records and held fixed under Regulation 1380/2013. RFMOs apply allocation keys to split tuna and groundfish quotas among contracting parties, weighing historic catch, zonal attachment, and coastal-state status. A contested key is the main flashpoint in shared-stock negotiations because shifting one party’s share cuts another’s.