Research Document - 2016/107
Incorporating Habitat Suitability into Productivity Estimates for Sea Scallops in Scallop Fishing Area 29 West
By Smith, S.J., and Sameoto, J.A.
Abstract
In 2014, a framework assessment was conducted for Scallop Fishing Area (SFA) 29 West (W) and a new approach for modelling the population dynamics of sea scallop was adopted. This new approach incorporated measures of differing productivity by scallop habitat suitability areas into the Bayesian state-space, size-based model that has been used for the Bay of Fundy, Georges Bank, and Browns Bank scallop assessments. However, the definition of Precautionary Approach (PA) reference points in the context of a habitat based model was not resolved for the 2014 assessment. Further, the problem of how to predict the allocation of effort by the fishery to the different habitat suitability areas to model short term yield for fishing plans and long term yield for the definition of reference points needed to be solved.
A new model for the spatial allocation of fishing effort has recently been developed that links relative fishing intensity to habitat suitability and scallop density. In addition to providing the means to predict the fishing pattern by habitat suitability areas for short and long term yield, the results of fitting this model to SFA 29W scallop showed that reference points were best defined in terms of the productivity of the High suitability areas only. Candidate reference points are proposed here for subareas B, C, and D in SFA 29W, for further discussion by the fishing industry and management.
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