Summary: This GAO report evaluates the impact of recently completed buyback programs in three diverse fisheries--New England groundfish, Bering Sea pollock, and Washington State salmon. GAO looks at (1) the extent to which the buyback programs have affected fishing capacity, (2) the potential ways the buyback programs can be made more effective, and (3) the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of buyback programs. GAO found that buyback programs in New England the Bering Sea, and Washington state initially removed from 10 to 24 percent of their respective fishing capacities. Also, the effectiveness of buyback programs in reducing fishing capacity depends upon whether fishermen return to the fishery and also whether remaining fishermen have an incentive to invest in larger or better-equipped fishing vessels. Furthermore, NMFS has made limited efforts to evaluate buyback programs, assessing only the fishing capacity reductions in the New England groundfish buyback because it was required to do so.
