Quota Lease

A quota lease is a temporary transfer of the right to catch quota for one season without selling the underlying entitlement, the rental market within a transferable-quota system. A holder who cannot or will not fish a share leases it to another operator for a fee, while keeping permanent ownership. Leasing lets a fleet match catching capacity to its quota holdings year by year and prices catching opportunity, but heavy reliance on leased quota raises rents for active fishers and can concentrate ownership in non-fishing holders, the sea-lord or armchair-fisher concern in several ITQ fisheries.