NOAA Fisheries is launching a brand new Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQ) Marketplace within the Southeast Gulf Catch Shares online system. This tool will allow participants to advertise IFQ allocation or shares they wish to sell or buy. This is only available to IFQ participants as they must be logged into their IFQ shareholder account to create a post or to view the marketplace. There is no cost for creating a post on our website. This optional tool provides an easy-to-use platform for connecting participants to available quota.
We added this tool based on suggestions from fishermen. This concept was presented during a series of NOAA Fisheries-led focus group meetings to evaluate its potential effectiveness. This feature incorporated additional suggestions received during those meetings into our design.
The IFQ Marketplace advertises for those both seeking and selling shares for red snapper, grouper, and tilefish species. Any post over 30 days old is automatically deleted to ensure information on the website is relevant and current. Additionally, we released allocation and ex-vessel price rolling average views in late 2024, where participants can verify current prices before making transactions. These features enhance marketplace information transparency to all participants of the program.
How it Works
Once logged in to the Catch Shares online system, fishermen will navigate to the IFQ Marketplace page located under either the Allocation or Shares menu. On this page, fishermen will select the “Click to Post Transaction” button. Here, fishermen will be able to create a post using drop-down boxes.
First, the poster selects the share category. The Activity field indicates if the poster wishes to buy or sell the IFQ privilege. The Quota Type allows the poster to select shares or allocation (called quota pounds in other fisheries).
If the poster selects Allocation, they will enter the pounds available or wishing to be purchased, followed by the price per pound.
If the poster selects Shares, they will enter the share percentage available or being offered for purchase. The system will generate the equivalent pounds for that share percentage at that time. This works similar to the Share Calculator and Share Transfer functions in the system. The price would be the price per equivalent pound and not the total value (price per pound X equivalent pounds).
Finally, the poster will use the check mark boxes to indicate if they want to be contacted by email, phone, or both, and enter the appropriate information. For the phone option, the poster can indicate their preference for a call or text.
Clicking on the Contact button will display information provided by the poster. Please only contact the poster as they have requested. When contacting a poster, we recommend you mention that you saw the advertisement on the IFQ Marketplace.
After both parties reach an agreement, fishermen would then complete transactions as usual in the IFQ system. We ask that the person who created a post remove it after the transaction has been made. To remove a post, navigate to the IFQ Marketplace feature and click the “garbage can” icon by your post. You may only remove posts you have created.
This new tool increases IFQ market information transparency and improves opportunities for participants. We also created the "Allocation Transfers Rolling Average" page and "Ex-Vessel Rolling Average" pages to increase market information transparency. We are committed to continued improvement of the Gulf IFQ programs. Since the programs began, we have used stakeholder feedback and suggestions to continuously improve the system and the tools offered for participants. We appreciate the feedback and encourage participants to continue to share their ideas and concerns.
This information is provided as a service to interested participants. This platform serves as a way to facilitate connections between IFQ participants to buy or sell shares or allocation. Any person who uses information obtained from this system does so with the understanding that NOAA Fisheries assumes no responsibility for the reliability or timeliness of any data in this Marketplace View and is not liable for losses caused by use of this information.
