Quota Management System (QMS) Archive

The QMS was introduced in 1986. It controls the total commercial catch from all the main fish stocks found within New Zealand's 200 nautical mile EEZ. It was introduced to:

• prevent overfishing, which had reached dangerous levels in some inshore fisheries, and with certain species such as snapper, and
• improve the economic efficiency of the fishing industry.

New Zealand is not the first country to bring in quotas, but it is the first to use them on such a broad scale in a multi-species fishery. Most countries manage fisheries by controlling inputs, such as the number of boats, the size of boats, mesh size of the nets and so on.

Since the Fisheries Act 1996 came into full effect on 1 October 2001, the Ministry of Fisheries (MFish) has implemented a programme to consider introducing a further 50 species into the Quota Management System (QMS) by 1 October 2004. As part of this programme 19 species, or groups of species, were gazetted on 16 and 30 October 2003 for introduction into the QMS on 1 October 2004. Copies of the relevant Gazette notices are available on request from MFish or can be purchased from Bennetts Bookstores.

The attached documents outline the Minister of Fisheries' decisions on the 19 species that will be introduced into the QMS on 1 October 2004, as well as six other species that were considered for introduction on this date, and MFish's final advice on these species. The Minister's decisions establish the Quota Management Areas, fishing year and unit of measure for the expression of Total Allowable Commercial Catches and Annual Catch Entitlements. 

Introduction into the QMS documents:

1 October 2005 Introductions into the QMS
1 October 2004 Introductions into the QMS
1 April 2004 Introductions into the QMS
1 October 2003 Introductions into the QMS