The Quota Management System (QMS) underpins New Zealand's reputation as a world leader in sustainable fisheries management.  It ensures that New Zealand fisheries resources are not over-fished and that New Zealand seafood will be available for generations to come.

Quota ownership is now a significant asset of New Zealand fishing companies. It gives New Zealand fishing companies an incentive to increase the returns from their property rights by reducing costs and producing more valuable product.  Improved economic efficiencies have also resulted from a better fit between fishing capacity and available fish stocks, thereby avoiding the global problems of over-capitalised fisheries (i.e. too many boats competing for available fish stocks).

The QMS continues to deliver significant benefits to New Zealand. Returns on seafood exports and the number of people employed in the seafood industry have increased significantly since 1986. The QMS has been an important factor in improving the sustainability of many of our fisheries through co-operative management strategies and plans.

New Zealand is not the first country to bring in quotas, but it is the only one to use them on such a broad scale across all fisheries. More than 15 countries have followed New Zealand's lead in establishing quota systems. Most countries still manage fisheries by controlling inputs, such as the number of boats, the size of boats, and mesh size of the nets.