The multispecies groundfish fishery is the first major fishery in New England to move to a rights-based management approach, but it is unlikely to be the last. The choice to implement sectors as opposed to ITQs in this fishery may have been dictated largely by the time and regulatory requirements associated with implementing an IFQ rather than a clear preference for this type of management. Nevertheless, it is quite possible that the fishery will consider a move to IFQs in the future, and other New England fisheries will be considering a choice between these two approaches in coming years. While sectors provide a weaker property right to fishermen which may be seen as a significant disadvantage to some, they also provide some advantages over IFQs both to individual fishermen and fishing communities.