The evolution of New Zealand's fisheries science and management systems under ITQs†

NewZealand implemented a comprehensivemanagement systemusing individual transferable quotas in 1986 that has been instrumental in guiding the roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities of fisheries science, fisheries management, and the fishing industry ever since. However, at the time of the initial design, a number of issues were not adequately considered. These relate mainly to the dynamic nature of fish stocks, multispecies considerations, and environmental and other externalities. Subsequent efforts to address these issues have been challenging and many are not yet fully resolved. The outcomes for fisheries science, stock status, multispecies management, ecosystem effects, and fishing industry accountability have beenmixed, althoughmostly positive. Fisheries science, fisheries management, and thefishing industry have all becomemuchmoreprofessionalized and their activities havebeen increasingly streamlined.New initiatives to further improve the systemcontinue tobe researched and implemented.Overall, webelieve that thepositives considerablyoutweigh the negatives. The initial designhas proved tobe a systemthat canbebuilt upon. ComparingNewZealandwithmostof the restof theworld, key positive outcomes for preventing overfishing are the current lackof significant overcapacity inmost fisheries, the development of biological reference points and a harvest strategy standard, the favourable stock status for the majority of stocks with known status, and the development and implementation of comprehensive risk assessments and management plans to protect seabirds and marine mammals.