Objectives-Based Fisheries Management; Building on 20-years Experience with Individual Transferable Quotas

The year 2006 marked the twentieth anniversary of the introduction of the Quota Management System (QMS) in New Zealand fisheries management. This major institutional change made individual transferable quota (ITQ) the quantitative authority for commercial fisheries catches, leading structural change and economic development to transform the New Zealand fishing industry into a prosperous and major contributor to the national economy. In addition to being a significant anniversary for the QMS, last year also saw significant development of a new objectives-based co-management framework by the Ministry of Fisheries. Created to build on the strengths of the QMS, the new approach seeks to establish a hierarchy of specified objectives for fisheries management from overall statements of desired outcomes through to detailed standards for processes and management performance explicitly linked through stated intervention logic. Working to this set of objectives and standards, an agency-facilitated stakeholder process will develop agreed management plans for defined fisheries. Objectives must be measurable and linkages testable, with monitoring of specified performance indicators being integral components of agreed plans. The new Fisheries Plan framework capitalises on the coherence brought to the commercial sector by secure catching rights under the QMS, attempting to extend this across the broader stakeholder community. It is endeavouring to establish a new process model for agency-initiated co-management that has the potential to draw diverse stakeholders together and develop common goals for management of their fisheries. After providing a brief introduction to the New Zealand context and the QMS and its history, this paper sets out to assess how the QMS has performed against the assumptions that underpinned its implementation in the mid-1980s. This in turn provides the context for the next step the development of the Fisheries Plan framework envisioned to move the overall management system in New Zealand forward into an era of broader stewardship of resources and environment, by all fisheries stakeholders. This new framework and the progress thus far are briefly described.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

The Marine Stewardship Council Fisheries Certification Program: Progress and Challenges

Fish is an increasingly popular source of protein and lifestyle food choice. High demand for fish and inadequate management of many fisheries has resulted in sub-optimum production and economic and environmental performance. Initiatives to address these problems include regional and international fisheries agreements, NGO-campaigns and industry-led management innovations. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) was established in 1997 by Unilever and WWF to harness market forces as an incentive to improve management of fisheries. Through extensive consultation with fishery stakeholders the MSC established a standard describing a well-managed and sustainable fishery (the MSC Principles and Criteria). The MSC accredits independent certifiers to assess fisheries (fish stocks) against the MSC Standard. If a fishery achieves certification, companies selling products from the fishery are eligible to use the MSC Logo—providing they can demonstrate traceability of the product to a certified fishery, by way of a Chain of Custody assessment. The first two fisheries achieved MSC certification in March 2000; others are currently being assessed. Immediate management improvements resulting from certification include improved research, management and data collection, which were required as conditions of certification. Initial indications suggest increased demand by retailers for the newly certified products. Future success of the MSC Certification Program will depend on the MSC’s ability to address challenges including: winning and maintaining the confidence of all stakeholders; building public awareness of the MSC Logo; ensuring the MSC Standard is relevant to all commercial capture fisheries; and keeping on the right side of international trade rules.Keywords: Fishery Management, Certification, Accreditation, Marine Stewardship Counci

Individual transferable quotas in New Zealand tuna fisheries

New Zealand’s $25M (USD) domestic tuna fishery comprises a troll fishery for albacore, a longline fishery for southern bluefin, Pacific bluefin, bigeye, yellowfin, and albacore tunas, and a small purse seine fishery for skipjack tuna. New Zealand vessels also fish for tuna in high seas areas and, through arrangements with other governments, in the fishery management zones of some Pacific Island Nations. Unlike other major New Zealand domestic fisheries, tuna fisheries have been open access. New Zealand domestic tuna fisheries are constrained by the availability of tuna in New Zealand fisheries waters and the longline fishery in particular has been characterised by overcapacity and poor economic returns. Following a recent review of management options, the New Zealand Government decided to manage its tuna fisheries using Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs). ITQ management will initially apply to all major tuna fisheries within New Zealand fisheries waters and, where a national allocation is agreed through the relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organization, for tuna species taken by New Zealand fishers outside New Zealand fisheries waters. Total allowable commercial catches (TACCs) will reflect agreed national allocations. Where national allocations have not been set, TACCs will be set so as not to constrain fishing unduly, while ensuring sustainability of the stocks. Voluntary rationalization of the tuna fishing fleet commenced soon after the announcement of ITQ management. As expected, the initial allocation of ITQs has proved contentious with different fishers promoting the use of different catch history years as a basis for quota allocation.Keywords: New Zealand, Capture Fisheries, individual transferable quotas, tuna fisheries, Fisheries Economic

Management of the Hauraki Gulf snapper fishery: a new approach

Fisheries management objectives, both in New Zealand and overseas, have changed markedly in the last two decades. It is now acknowledged that objectives other than maximising biological (MSY) or economic (MEY) yields must be taken into account in fisheries management. The new overall management objective is the Optimum Sustainable Yield (OSY). OSY-based management, which must account for all relevant objectives, cannot in practise be successful. No single optimum yield exists that meets all, or even most, fisheries management objectives. In New Zealand, successful management is further hindered by a lack of fisheries data and management experience. ‘Satisficing’ is a management approach which does not remove the ‘multiple-objective’ management problem, but allows positive management in spite of it. Instead of attempting to maximise management objectives, reasonable minimum levels of achievement are set for each objective. A management process which incorporates the satisficing management approach and associated concepts is described. The satisficing approach to management could be used within, but is not required by, the New Zealand fisheries management structure. Neither the overall New Zealand fisheries policy, nor the Individual Transferable Quota allocation system can be used with the satisficing management approach without modifications. The policy would have to be changed so as not to advocate a single optimum yield, and the ITQ allocation system would require restrictions or incentives to make it amenable to non-economic management objectives. At present the ITQ allocation system is also inconsistent with the overall fisheries policy, in that it is influenced only by economic objectives

Objectives-Based Fisheries Management; Building on 20-years Experience with Individual Transferable Quotas

The year 2006 marked the twentieth anniversary of the introduction of the Quota Management System (QMS) in New Zealand fisheries management. This major institutional change made individual transferable quota (ITQ) the quantitative authority for commercial fisheries catches, leading structural change and economic development to transform the New Zealand fishing industry into a prosperous and major contributor to the national economy. In addition to being a significant anniversary for the QMS, last year also saw significant development of a new objectives-based co-management framework by the Ministry of Fisheries. Created to build on the strengths of the QMS, the new approach seeks to establish a hierarchy of specified objectives for fisheries management from overall statements of desired outcomes through to detailed standards for processes and management performance explicitly linked through stated intervention logic. Working to this set of objectives and standards, an agency-facilitated stakeholder process will develop agreed management plans for defined fisheries. Objectives must be measurable and linkages testable, with monitoring of specified performance indicators being integral components of agreed plans. The new Fisheries Plan framework capitalises on the coherence brought to the commercial sector by secure catching rights under the QMS, attempting to extend this across the broader stakeholder community. It is endeavouring to establish a new process model for agency-initiated co-management that has the potential to draw diverse stakeholders together and develop common goals for management of their fisheries. After providing a brief introduction to the New Zealand context and the QMS and its history, this paper sets out to assess how the QMS has performed against the assumptions that underpinned its implementation in the mid-1980s. This in turn provides the context for the next step the development of the Fisheries Plan framework envisioned to move the overall management system in New Zealand forward into an era of broader stewardship of resources and environment, by all fisheries stakeholders. This new framework and the progress thus far are briefly described