In 1992 output control management, in the form of individual transferable quotas (ITQs), was introduced into the South East Fishery (formerly the South East Trawl Fishery). Sixteen species of fish were initially subject to quota management.

A critical factor in the success of quota management systems is the ability to provide timely stock assessments, the adequacy of which will be dependent upon the quality of available data. Workshops convened by the Demersal and Pelagic Fisheries Research Group (DPFRG) to provide advice to management on yield estimates for the quota species confirmed that in most cases data on which to base these assessments were very limited (DPFRG, 1991a,b). This situation was exacerbated by the fact that much of the early fishery and biological information collected by the different fisheries research organisations has not been documented and was not, therefore, accessible.

In recognition of the need to properly review the historical datasets held by the Division of Sea Fisheries (DSF) and other agencies, a cooperative program between the Bureau of Rural Resources (BRR) and the fisheries agencies of Tasmania, New South Wales and Victoria and the CSIRO was formulated (refer to Document 4). Funding for this review was provided by the Fishing Industry Research and Development Council and a major objective of the program was to establish a centralized register of information held by each organisation.