“The amount of fish (or fishing effort) that can be produced over a period of time by a vessel or a fleet if fully utilized and for a given resource condition.” Two terms are important to the discussion of capacity – excess capacity and overcapacity. Excess capacity exists when potential catch or effort is greater than actual catch or effort in a given period. Excess capacity is a short-term issue that can arise when boats operate on average for fewer days than expected under more average conditions, as a result of, for example, lower prices, higher costs or management decision.