The Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance launched the first Quota Bank in the Gulf of Mexico in 2015 to reduce red snapper discards in the eastern Gulf and to support the next generation of commercial reef fish fishermen. 2025 will mark our eleventh year of operation.
The Quota Bank leases red snapper allocation to the following two groups of fishermen:
In exchange for leasing this allocation, Members agree to hold themselves to a high standard of accountability and participate in program requirements including electronic reporting, Best Business Practices, and participation in regulatory meetings.
The Quota Bank is the only program of its kind in the Gulf of Mexico that is generating benefits for your fishery by:
We have updated our application, so new and returning members must fill out the same form. Click the button below for the application.
Applications will be accepted on a quarterly basis and processed four times per year. Applications may be submitted at any time prior to the quarterly deadlines identified below:
The Shareholders' Alliance Board will review applications as soon as practicable after each quarterly deadline. Applications will be evaluated based on compliance with eligibility criteria, commitment to best practices, prioritization of gear and meeting attendance, allocation availability, and historical compliance with Quota Bank requirements (if applicable).
Please see the Frequently Asked Questions document below for answers to some of the more commonly-asked questions. This document will be updated regularly.
For more information on the Quota Bank, check out these documents.
Reef Fish Quota Bank Operations Plan (2025) (pdf)
DownloadReef Fish Quota Bank FAQs (2025) (pdf)
DownloadReef Fish Quota Bank Summary (2025) (pdf)
DownloadQuota Bank Announcement to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (pdf)
DownloadHandbook of Quota Banks Around the Country (pdf)
DownloadPress release celebrating 2017 Gulf Guardian Award (pdf)
DownloadPresentation to Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (June 2019) (pdf)
DownloadGulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders' Alliance
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