In the last decades Nordic countries have been implementing quota markets and similar instruments to manage mainly the economic performance of their fisheries. Coming from a historical situation dominated by owner-operated fishing units closely connected to their supporting communities, market-based fisheries management plays a role in promoting company-organised fishing units, non-fisher ownership and new social relations. Introducing market-mechanisms to distribute the limited marine resources is therefore not just a change in the technical regulation. It is an active engagement in social change. The publication reviews the Nordic experiences with market-based fisheries management and discusses the implications for managers and future recruitment.