The Quota Management System (QMS) is a type of individual fishing quota that is used in New Zealand to manage fish stocks.

New Zealand fishing industry

Seafood is one of New Zealand's largest export markets, with 85% of catches being exported. Over 90% of the total revenue raised by the country's fishing industry comes from exported stocks, raising NZ$3 billion annually. The most valuable species is the hoki, Macruronus novaezelandiae.

For the purposes of QMS, New Zealand's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is divided into ten quota management regions. A separate quota is defined for each species in each region, depending on the species' distributions, ranging from a single fishing quota market for the hoki to eleven for the abalone Haliotis iris.

History

New Zealand is "the world leader in implementing IFQs". QMS was introduced by the Fisheries Amendment Act 1986, initially covering 26 marine species. The following year, it covered 30 species, and by 2005, it covered 93 species, out of the 140 commercial species in New Zealand's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). These comprised 550 separate fishing quota markets. QMS will eventually be extended to cover all living marine resources that are commercially exploited, including invertebrates, but excluding marine mammals. However, LegaSea, a non-profit environmental organisation based in New Zealand, argued that the Fisheries Act 1996 did not achieve its primary purpose of sustainable use of fisheries resources to provide for the well-being of the marine environment. They claimed that the QMS, managed under the Act, prioritised commercial fishing interests over sustainability, which resulted in declining fish stocks.

Total allowable commercial catch

Species codeNameTACC (kg)
ANCAnchovy560,000
ANGFreshwater eels420,150
BARBarracouta32,672,461
BCOBlue cod2,681,496
BIGBigeye tuna714,000
BNSBluenose2,335,000
BUTButterfish162,000
BWSBlue shark1,860,000
BYAFrilled venus shell16,000
BYXAlfonsino2,995,700
CDLCardinalfish2,548,000
CHCRed crab48,000
COCCockle3,214,000
CRASpiny red rock lobster2,792,839
DANRinged dosinia203,000
DSUSilky dosinia8,000
ELEElephant fish1,283,500
EMABlue mackerel11,550,000
FLAFlatfish5,418,800
FROFrostfish4,019,000
GARGarfish50,000
GLMGreen-lipped mussel1,720,000
GMUGrey mullet1,005,601
GSCGiant spider crab419,000
GSHGhost shark3,012,000
GSPPale ghost shark1,780,000
GURGurnard5,181,187
HAKHake13,211,143
HOKHoki120,010,000
HORHorse mussel29,000
HPBHapuku and bass2,181,600
JDOJohn Dory1,140,400
JMAJack mackerel60,547,234
KAHKahawai2,728,000
KBBBladder kelp1,509,600
KICKing crab90,000
KINKingfish200,000
KWHKnobbed whelk67,000
LDOLookdown dory783,000
LEALeatherjacket1,431,000
LFELong-finned eel82,000
LINLing22,226,000
MAKMako shark406,000
MDITrough shell160,000
MMILarge trough shell180,000
MOKBlue moki608,112
MOOMoonfish527,000
OEOOreo18,860,000
ORHOrange roughy8,221,000
OYSDredge oyster15,544,000
PADPaddle crab765,000
PARParore84,000
PAUPāua1,058,499
PDODeepwater tuatua629,000
PHCPackhorse rock lobster40,300
PILPilchard2,485,000
PORPorae71,000
POSPorbeagle215,000
PPIPipi204,000
PRKPrawn killer36,000
PTOPatagonian toothfish49,500
PZLDeepwater clam31,500
QSCQueen scallop380,000
RBMRay's bream980,000
RBTRedbait5,050,000
RBYRuby fish812,000
RCORed cod8,278,385
RIBRibaldo1664,000
RSKRough skate1,986,000
RSNRed snapper146,000
SAETriangle shell725,000
SBWSouthern blue whiting43,408,000
SCAScallop841,000
SCCSea cucumber35,000
SCHSchool shark3,436,100
SCIScampi1,291,000
SFEShort-finned eel347,000
SKIGemfish1,060,394
SNASnapper6,357,300
SPDSpiny dogfish12,660,000
SPESea perch2,170,000
SPORig1,919,064
SPRSprats450,000
SQUArrow squid127,332,381
SSKSmooth skate849,000
STAStargazer5,456,400
STNSouthern bluefin tuna413,000
SURKina1,147,000
SWASilver warehou1,0380,201
SWOSwordfish885,000
TARTarakihi6,439,173
TORPacific bluefin tuna116,000
TRETrevally3,933,103
TRUTrumpeter144,000
TUATuatua43,000
WARBlue warehou4,512,358
WWAWhite warehou3,735,000
YEMYellow-eyed mullet68,000
YFNYellowfin tuna263,000

See also

External links