1. A quantity of catch, effort or biomass attributed to a person, a vessel, and a fishing company. The allocation can be absolute (e.g. a number of tons) or relative (e.g. a % of the annual allowable catch) (US Dept. of Commerce, 1996)
2. Direct and deliberate distribution of the opportunity to participate in a fishery among identifiable, discrete user groups or individuals. (US Dept. of Commerce, 1996)
See: Access right.