Science Advisory Report 2009/052

Assessment of Scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) in Scallop Fishing Area (SFA) 29 West of Longitude 65°30′W

Summary

• This scallop fishery has taken place in the portion of Scallop Fishing Area (SFA) 29 west of longitude 65°30′ W since 2001 and is currently conducted by two fleets: the Full Bay Fleet and a limited number of inshore East of Baccaro licence holders (i.e., East of Baccaro Fleet).
• During 2008, a total of 249 t (190 t Full Bay; 59 t East of Baccaro) was landed against a TAC of 250 t.
• The fishery in subareas A and E has been sporadic in the last two years and commercial catch rates in these areas appear to have increased from 2007 to 2008. In subarea B, commercial catch rates for the Full Bay fleet have declined by 19% since 2006, while the East of Baccaro fleet catch rates have remained stable. The Full Bay fleet commercial catch rates have been stable in subarea C over the last three years and the East of Baccaro fleet catch rates have increased from 2006 to 2008.Catch rates have been declining (31 to 34%) for both fleets in subarea D since 2005.
• Estimates from the combined daily commercial catch rate in 2007 and 2008 indicated that exploitation had decreased by up to one half in subarea B, remained stable in subarea C and possibly doubled in subarea D. Estimates were not possible for subarea A due to the small amounts of catch taken there.
• Catches of 1 year old scallops (shell heights ≤ 50 mm) in the 2007 survey were widely distributed with the highest densities in subarea A.  With the possible exception of subarea D,  these densities did not translate into high densities of two year olds in the 2008 survey.
• The survey index for commercial size scallops in subarea A indicated an increase in 2008 compared to 2007 but, given the patchy nature of the distribution of scallops in this subarea and the lack of recruitment observed over the time series, survey trends in subarea A may not reflect actual population trends.
• The survey index in subarea B has indicated a general decline in abundance since 2002 with little change in abundance after 2006. Recruitment continues to be low in this subarea.
• Since 2006, recruitment has continued to be low in subarea C with the Full Bay survey indicating a stable commercial size population and the East of Baccaro survey indicating increasing abundance over the same time period.
• The Full Bay survey index indicated an increase in the abundance of commercial size scallops from 2007 to 2008 in subarea D, while the East of Baccaro series showed a continued decline from 2005.  Recruitment continues to be low since 2005 in both series.
• Catch level recommendations for the 2009 fishery were based on the interpretation of trends in the catch rate, survey and exploitation time series; subarea A: 10–20 t, subarea B: 60–80 t, subarea C: 60–80 t and subarea D: ≤ 85 t.
• Bycatch of lobster by the SFA 29 scallop fishery in 2008 was estimated at less than 0.1% of the weight of lobsters landed by the Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 34 lobster fishery in the SFA 29 area. The majority of the lobsters caught in the scallop fishery were released back into the water alive and uninjured.

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