Jim Wilson counters the concerns raised by Ralph Townsend [this issue].The current policy course set by Marine Resources Commissioner Robin Alden is based on an approach to fisheries management which redefines the sustainability problem as an ecosystem problem. Wilson argues that, within this new paradigm, questions such as “how, when, and where†to fish (or not fish) are much more central than species-specific quota setting. These questions not only change the rules under which co-management is implemented but also may improve fisheries management in ways that quota systems have failed, that is the long term conservation of species and habitats.