Fishing without quota: The ACE fisher in New Zealand's inshore fishery

- ACE enables fishers with little or no quota to participate in the NZ inshore fishery.
- ACE reliant fishers play a critical role in providing catch capacity for large processors.
- Many ACE fishers operate on a small scale and acquire all their ACE from one LFR.
- LFR - Fisher relationships are enduring and are mutually beneficial.
- Catch balancing is often managed by the LFR on behalf of the ACE fisher.

The annual catch entitlement (ACE) scheme was added to New Zealand's quota management system for fisheries in 2001. The scheme allocates quota owners an annual share of the total allowable commercial catch (TACC) in proportion to their quota holding of a particular fishstock. With ACE being transferable, the change made it simpler for fishers (permit holders) who did not own quota to purchase ACE to match catch for specific fishstocks. But to be viable, non-quota-owning (ACE reliant) fishers need access to a reliable, long-term supply of ACE. This study examines the relationships between ACE reliant purchasers and their suppliers of ACE in New Zealand's Fishing Management Area Three during the 2014-15 fishing year. The study found that most buyers and sellers of ACE form enduring relationships to their mutual benefit. This symbiotic relationship bodes well for the survival of small fishers with the expertise to land fish in an efficient manner.