Morro Bay Community Quota Fund

What Morro Bay Community Quota Fund does

Morro Bay Community Quota Fund (MBCQF) is a California nonprofit incorporated in March 2013 that consolidates trawl fishing permits and associated quota into community ownership to support sustainable groundfish fisheries along the central California coast. The fund acquired five trawl permits and roughly four million pounds of quota from The Nature Conservancy in 2014, valued at approximately $1.5–$2 million, and leases that quota back to local fishermen under a stewardship-based governance model. Its revenue model is straightforward: participating fishermen pay approximately 8 percent of gross landing revenue in exchange for quota access, generating an annual operating budget of roughly $125,000.

The fund operates with one to ten staff under a seven-member elected board and a scientific advisory committee, serving harvesters in the Morro Bay and Port San Luis harbors. It uses the eCatch electronic catch reporting system for compliance and stock monitoring, funds peer-reviewed scientific research through a recurring RFP (with roughly $15,000 deployed to date), and maintains active engagement with the Pacific Fisheries Management Council on regulatory matters affecting limited-entry trawl permits. Strategic positioning is built around a formal partnership with The Nature Conservancy and alignment with parallel community quota initiatives emerging in Half Moon Bay, Monterey/Moss Landing, and Ft. Bragg.

Name

Morro Bay Community Quota Fund

Legal name

Morro Bay Community Quota Fund

Website

https://morrobaycommunityquotafund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Morro Bay Community Quota Fund is a California nonprofit that consolidates trawl permits and quota into community ownership and leases access to local fishermen in the Morro Bay and Port San Luis harbors at roughly 8% of gross landing revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fisheries Quota Management

NAICS

Finfish Fishing (114111)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Community quota fund
• Fishing quota leasing
• Groundfish fishery management
• Commercial fishing rights
• Marine stewardship research

Headquarters

HQ city

Morro Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Quota Leasing: Fishermen lease quota from the MBCQF, paying approximately 8% of gross landing revenue for special trawl fishery fees (trawl buyback loan and program cost recovery fee). Lease rates are reduced compared to market rates. Revenue supports annual budget of approximately $125,000.
2. Quota Share Ownership: The organization owns approximately 4 million pounds of quota (valued at $1.5-$2 million) which generates annual Quota Pounds (QP) that are leased to fishermen.
3. Research Funding: Sets aside money for scientific research through a scientific advisory committee. Released RFP in February with $15,000 available for research projects focused on increasing fishing activity on the Central Coast.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Morro Bay Community Quota Fund is a non-profit that owns and manages approximately 4 million pounds of community-held fishing quota and five trawl permits in the West Coast Groundfish catch share program. It leases quota pounds (QP) and permits to local commercial fishermen at below-market rates, administers vessel quota accounts through the National Marine Fisheries Service, and funds marine stewardship research via a competitive RFP process overseen by a Scientific Advisory Committee.

Product overview

Morro Bay Community Quota Fund is a non-profit organization that manages community-controlled fishing quotas in the West Coast groundfish fishery, particularly for Morro Bay and Port San Luis harbors. The organization does not offer a technology product or SaaS platform. Its primary services include managing quota shares (QS), distributing quota pounds (QP) to participating fishermen, administering fishing permits, and funding scientific research through a request-for-proposals (RFP) process. The organization's offerings are operational and administrative in nature rather than technology-based products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quota Leasing (Quota Pounds and Trawl Permits) Leasing of community-owned quota pounds (QP) across sablefish, petrale sole, Widow Rockfish, Dover Sole, Chilipepper Rockfish, Slope Rockfish, and other West Coast groundfish species, along with five trawl permits, to local commercial fishermen operating out of Morro Bay and Port San Luis harbors. Lessees pay approximately 8% of gross landing revenue in special trawl fishery fees (trawl buyback loan and program cost recovery fee) and must accommodate human observers on every trip.
• Vessel Account Administration via National Marine Fisheries Service Administrative service that manages vessel quota accounts and oversees the transfer of quota pounds into fishermen's vessel accounts through the National Marine Fisheries Service, supporting MBCQF's role as a quota holder under the West Coast Groundfish IFQ program.
• Scientific Research Funding via Request for Proposals (RFP) Competitive grant-style research funding administered through a public Request for Proposals process, overseen by MBCQF's Scientific Advisory Committee and made up of board members, awarding approximately $15,000 per cycle to research projects focused on increasing fishing activity on the Central Coast consistent with responsible marine stewardship. Open to fishermen, scientists, and citizen scientists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bycatch reduced from 15-20% to less than 1% of total haul in the West Coast Groundfish catch share program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Nature Conservancy (TNC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2013TNC bought fishing boats and permits in the mid-2000s during fishery collapse. MBCQF took out a loan to buy TNC's quota for Central Coast waters in 2014, and TNC exited the fishing business in these areas. TNC discounted its asking price (valued at $1.5-$2 million) in exchange for including sustainable fishing objectives in the bylaws.
• Half Moon Bay FishermenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Similar community quota fund programs being developed in Half Moon Bay, Monterey/Moss Landing, and Ft. Bragg. Potential partnership opportunity for combining research funding across regions.
• Pacific Fisheries Management CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Federal regulatory body that adopted the West Coast Groundfish catch share program. MBCQF presented at November 2014 Council meeting. The organization's structure and operations are governed by PFMC regulations and quotas.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation: Alaska-based community development corporation supporting the Bristol Bay salmon industry and broader fisheries. Comparable in spirit as a community-controlled vehicle that anchors resource access and economic benefit locally, though oriented to salmon and Alaska.
• Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance: Massachusetts-based community fishing organization that supports independent fishermen through advocacy, research, and marketing. Comparable because of its community-stewardship mission and work sustaining small-boat commercial fisheries, though it operates on the U.S. East Coast rather than the West Coast.
• Maine Coast Fishermen's Association: Maine-based nonprofit that advances sustainable, community-based fisheries through science, policy, and market programs. Comparable mission and structure to MBCQF but focused on New England lobster, herring, and groundfish rather than California groundfish.

Direct peers

• Port Orford Ocean Resource Team: Oregon-based community fishing organization built around local stewardship of ocean resources and fishery access. Comparable because it shares MBCQF's small-team, community-controlled model for managing access to West Coast commercial fisheries.
• Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations: Regional trade and advocacy body for commercial fishing associations along the U.S. West Coast. Highly comparable to MBCQF because it represents community-based fishing interests in PFMC processes and operates in the same groundfish catch share regulatory environment.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Global environmental organization that originally acquired the Morro Bay permits and quota later transferred to MBCQF. Comparable as a holder and steward of fishing access rights and conservation-aligned bylaw frameworks, but operates at a vastly larger, multi-region scale.

Others

• Pacific Marine Conservation Association: West Coast nonprofit working on marine conservation policy and community engagement. Adjacent to MBCQF rather than a direct competitor — operates in the same West Coast policy environment and shares stewardship-oriented goals but does not manage quota or fishing rights itself.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/morrobaycommunityquotafund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morro-bay-community-quota-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Morro Bay Community Quota Fund