Science Advisory Report 2020/054

Scallop stock assessment in Quebec coastal waters in 2019

Summary

• From 2016 to 2019, Quebec’s average annual scallop landings totaled 73.8 t of meat, a 16 % increase from 2013–2015. Fishing effort dropped by 5 % from 2013–2015. Sixty-six % of the landings were from the Magdalen Islands, 33 % from the North Shore and 1 % from the Gaspe Peninsula.

North Shore

• Landings, which consisted primarily of Iceland Scallops, increased by 65 % during 2016–2019 compared to 2013–2015, while fishing effort increased by 24 % as a result of the resumption of fishing in Area 16A1.
• From 2016 to 2019, there was no fishing effort in areas 16A2, 16D, 16G, 16H, 16I and 18D and very little in areas 15, 16B, 16C and 18A. Little information is available to assess the scallop status in these areas. There are no recommendations for these areas.
• In Areas 16E and 16F, landings have been historically low since 2013 in contrast with the high levels observed prior to 2007.
• Agence Mamu Innu Kaikusseth (AMIK) carried out two exploratory surveys in 2016 and 2018 in Areas 16E and 16F. Few locations with substantial densities of commercial-size scallop (≥ 70 mm) were found outside of known beds.
• A rebuilding plan is being developed for Areas 16E, 16F and 18A

Area 16E:

• Since 2013, landings have been less than 16 t compared to levels that were generally above 50 t prior to 2007. Since 2008, fishing has been concentrated mainly on bed D south of Grande Île where recruitment was very good in previous years. Since 2005, the average weight of meat landed has remained below the historical average.
• The latest research surveys show that the density of non-commercial-size scallop (< 70 mm) has been in sharp decline since 2016 and was well below the reference mean in 2019. The density of commercial-size scallops remains very low, below the reference mean. However, two cohorts of small scallop (< 30 mm) were observed within the islands in the 2019 survey.
• Maintaining fishing effort at the average level of the last four years and keeping the limit on bed D at 50% of the effort conducted across the entire area could help maintain current densities. Additional conservation measures will be required to help increase densities. In addition, minimizing fishing within the islands would favour the survival of the two cohorts of small scallop observed in 2019.

Area 16F:

• Since 2009, landings have been less than 5 t compared to levels higher than 25 t prior to 2007. Since 2011, fishing has been concentrated primarily on bed C. The average weight of meat landed in the last few years has been close to the historical average.
• The previous two research surveys showed that the density of commercial- and non-commercial-size scallops was below the series average in 2018 and close to the series average in 2019. Maintaining the level of fishing effort at the average level of the last four years could help maintain current densities.

Area 16A1:

• The fishery in this area resumed in 2017, concentrating on the Île Rouge bed. The total allowable catch (TAC) of 10.9 t was exceeded slightly in 2018 and 2019. The weight of meat landed is close to the historical average. From 1998 to 2002, this bed was unable to sustain an annual exploitation level of about 10 t. Because the bed is located at the western edge of the known distribution of scallops and is geographically isolated, it is likely to be more vulnerable to overharvesting and to receive smaller and less frequent inputs of larvae than beds in other areas.

Gaspé peninsula

• Landings consisted primarily of Sea Scallops. Landings reached more than 60 t prior to 2001, and then gradually declined to totals of less than 2 t per year from 2016 to 2019. Since 2014, the fishery in this region has been concentrated mainly in Area 19A.
• Scallop landings and fishing effort declined by 63 % during 2016–2019 compared to 2013–2015.
• From 2016 to 2019, there was no fishing effort in Areas 17A1, 17A2, 18B2, 18C and 18D, and very little effort in Area 18B1. Since little information is available to assess the status of the resource in these areas, there is no recommendation for these areas.
• In Area 19A, landings and fishing effort were very low between 2016 and 2019. Over the last six years, fishing effort has been concentrated on two beds, leaving a number of beds unharvested. In 2017, the CPUE fell to the lowest value in the historical series, but it has been on the rise since then. The average CPUE for the past four years is slightly below the historical average. The weight of meat landed has declined slightly and is below the historical average. There is a high probability that the current fishing effort on these two beds will be sustainable until the next assessment.

Magdalen Islands

• In Area 20A, Sea Scallop landings and CPUEs increased sharply in 2007 and have remained relatively stable since then. Fishing effort is distributed evenly across all beds.
• The 2019 research survey indicates that densities of commercial-size scallop (≥ 100 mm) remain high and close to the maximum historical values. Densities of pre-recruit scallops measuring 70–84 mm and < 70 mm are slightly above the median of the historical series. However, the density of 85–99 mm pre-recruits is below the median of the historical series. The density of scallops available to the fishery is expected to be lower in 2020 than it was in 2019.
• Decision rules for calculating the fishing effort have been in place since 2010. This effort is calculated using CPUEs derived from logbooks and density indices obtained from the research survey. The fishing effort needs to be reviewed annually after the indicators are updated. For 2020, the maximum fishing effort authorized for Area 20A is 305.5 days at sea.

This Science Advisory Report is from the February 26, 2020 meeting on the Stock Assessment of Scallop in Quebec Inshore Waters. Additional publications from this meeting will be posted on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science Advisory Schedule as they become available.

Science Advisory Report 2020/054 (PDF, 2,354 KB)

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