There are those who get themselves appointed as fishery "business" side representatives, who then, while being pressured with various fishery effort reduction schemes (usually including some mention or threat of total prohibition as to areas, or gear type) will be slowly arm-twisted into "agreeing" with either partial closures, as occurred in regards to bottom trawling on portions of the Santa Lucia Bank (and some other adjacent areas).
They are often allowed to gain for themselves, by way of attached stipulations to the 'deal', rules favorable to themselves, yet at the expense of other fisherman, in the exchange.
In actuality, what was "given up" on the Southern portion of the Santa Lucia wasn't trawled much anyway, save at the edges of that zone. Much of it was guaranteed net-shredding, if not complete and total, kiss-your $20,000 rig of bottom net and trawl doors GOODBYE, because you might just leave it there permanently. But don't worry folks, lost trawl nets don't continue to fish, or "ghostfish" as it is called.
Monofilament gillnets can "ghost fish" if lost. Twisted filament nylon gillnets, can ghost, but usually will collapse, and just lay on the bottom. I know this, because I have caught or snagged "lost" fishing gear.
Getting back to the push for IFQ's;
One of the things you won't see in the news is how they pit fisherman against fisherman, even on smaller scale, State fisheries management levels.
That exact type of arm twisting is occurring now (or is it already a done deal?) in regards to proposed "allocation" for Dungness crab in California, with a few fishermen doing a bit or self-centered arm twisting, themselves. I could name names, but I won't.
To heck with it. I will name names. Vince Doyle, F/V Verna Jean. Total $#@!&%@# (string of expletives not mentionable in polite company or on FR) Presently homeported in Ft. Bragg, I think.
If you see him, be sure to tell him he has many adoring fans!
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We had a couple like him up in Washington State in the 90s - they wormed their way onto the Puget Sound Gillnetters Assoc. Board (which had a minor say in salmon allocation for 50 years).
When they got done, the PSGA was ruined, and they went on to be the spokes people for the former industry they destroyed. Their great hope was that they could get all the salmon divided amongst their group, cutting out the majority of other gillnetters.
That's their M.O. divide and conquer. They push it between men and women, races, ethnicity, languages, parents and children, young and old - it's the Devil's Playground and they love division and the divisiveness it brings.
Never waste a crisis and create one if one isn't available.
We need a return to a culture of merit not politics.