Currently, more than 60 fisheries in the world are managed with ITQs. ITQ programs are designed to manage the economics of a fishery. The most significant benefit is a reduction in production costs and a resulting increase in economic efficiency. The level of resource removal can be tightly controlled and the quality of the market product generally improves. ITQ programs also have potential problems.
Initial allocations can be difficult to determine and troublesome to assign.
Stock assessments must be precise. Monitoring and enforcement costs are usually high. Employment levels may be reduced. Dr. Kirkland concluded that there is not consensus on ITQs and that he is not necessarily a proponent of ITQs. Fishery management can be improved, but there can also be serious negative community impacts.