The fund helps regional councils with the costs of coastal planning for aquaculture developments. Vessel numbers are not restricted but all vessels operating within New Zealand’s fisheries waters need to be New Zealand flagged and are subject to all relevant domestic legislation. The Act and its implementing regulations provide for the fishing interests of all fishing groups, commercial, recreational, and customary' Maori. There are currently 641 stocks (a combination of species or species complexes, and areas) in the QMS. Historically, the allocation of quota was based on catch history'.