There has been much written on the theoretical merits and practical implementation of ITQs from a regulators/managers perspective(eg. Kaufman et al. 1999), but virtually nothing has been published specifically directed at fishers to help them understand what the implementation of ITQs means to their fishery and importantly, how their businesses can operate under ITQs and adjust to remain healthy and profitable.

The few "guides" that are available, such as as "The Fishermen’s Guide to the Quota Management System" (Boyle 1993) explain the technical compliance and management requirements for New Zealand fisheries and others such as Fisheries Management Paper No 138 (Donohue and Barker, 2000) review information and potential pros and cons of quota management. None, however are targetted at, and written for small and medium sized fishery businesses and nor do they explain how these business can adapt and thrive under ITQ management.

It is well known that fishers can take a significant amount of time to accept the move to ITQs and then even longer to operate efficiently and effectively within this management environment. The WA rock lobster fishery and the Commonwealth's northern prawn fishery are two of Australia's most valuable fisheries, both of which are currently in the throes of moving to ITQ management. A number of fisheries in the Northern Territory are also moving to ITQs. In many cases, industry members are resistant to this change and are very concerned about how their businesses need to change under such a management regime.

What is needed is an easy to use comprehensive guide to understanding ITQ management which includes information and guidance on how to best adjust and adapt their businesses to operate efficiently and profitably. This project offers to produce such a guide.