Your point that it takes 10+ years to make any money is ridculous. It may take 10 years to pay off the asset(the quota) if you ammortize it over 10 years. and hey if its interest free why the hell wouldnt you! but its not like you dont make any money before that asset is paid off. NO company would survive for 10 years without making money, Get a grip.
Heres some more math
100,000lb at 26 lbs=2.6million amortized over 10 years 260k a year
100,000lb at $7 lb- 700,000 in revenue just in halibut (im sure most halibut fisherman fish other rockfish)
Now i have no clue what a commercial boat cost but lets say 1 million over 10 years. so another 100k a year
i also have no clue what operating expenses are (wages, fuel, bait, hooks, etc) but lets assume like any well run business its 30-40% of revenue. so maybe another 200k.
So in the end you have 700k in revenue 600 or so k in expenses still leaves room at the end. not alot but some as in those operating costs are a salary for yourself im sure. And once you are free and clear on your boat and your quota, its BIG MONEY. so you have to live likea normal person for some years, then once your major assets are paid off you now own a quota that has doubled in price, and a 1 million dollar boat. Plus you arent paying into that(well im sure theres plenty of $$$ in keep the boat running) so that excess goes into your jeans. which i think is a great business, which is why as mentioned, i think we should have to pay for the quota to get it back. Its not fair to the commercial guy as he madea sound investment which we got the short end of the stick. But lets call a spade a spade, if you arent making money with that business model, you shouldnt be in business. Same with the other commercial entiy(guides and lodges)
I dont know alot, but i know common sense, i know business and i know mathematics