Managing the fishery resource
The rigorous fishing controls in place in New Zealand waters, including the highly effective Quota Management System (QMS), have made New Zealand a World-leader in sustainable fisheries management. The controls are enforced to make sure that seafood harvests are sustainable and ocean habitats are able to renew continuously. They are a result of cooperation and shared responsibility between regulators, the seafood industry, and others with an active involvement in the marine resource.
Who sets the fish harvest quota?
Industry, government agencies, and other stakeholders work together to assess fish stocks in the quota system. From these results, the Ministry of Fisheries reviews the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for each fish stock and the Minister of Fisheries sets conservative limits so that breeding populations remain healthy and abundant.
About New Zealand's Quota Management System
- The QMS is the reason for New Zealand’s reputation as the World’s leader in sustainable fisheries management.
- The Quota Management System was introduced in 1986 to help conserve major fisheries' stocks and make the New Zealand fishing industry more efficient.
- Since 1992, Maori (the native population of New Zealand) have been allocated 20% of each fish species as it has come into the quota management system.
- The quota not allocated to Maori is distributed amongst commercial fishing organisations that hold 'catch history' for each species - based on how much they caught in designated 'catch history' years.
- Tenders are called for (people and organisations bid to buy) any unallocated quota.
- Quota holdings are expressed as proportional shares of each fish stock. Each fish stock has 100 million shares.
- The Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) sets the volume (in tonnes) allowed to be caught each year. The volume can vary from year to year depending on scientific assessments of the state of the fisheries.
- Each quota owner is allocated an Annual Catch Entitlement (ACE) in proportion to their share of the quota for the fish stock. This entitlement expires at the end of the fishing year for each stock.
- ACE and Quota can be sold, or given away just like a piece of land. It doesn't matter who catches the fish, so long as no more than the ACE tonnage is harvested.