Long run excess fishing capacity affects both the profitability and biological status of a fishery. In order for policy makers to determine optimal resource allocation to a fishery and to establish whether a fishery is over-capitalised, it is important to identify both the level and the source of the excess capacity. Non-metric indicators may be used to assess the likelihood of excess capacity in a fishery based on information on the biological status of the fishery, the management regime and productivity trends of the fishery. These indicators are presented as a cost effective method to assess excess capacity when information is limited or prohibitively costly to collect.