Proceedings 2015/026
Proceedings of the Regional Assessment of Browns Bank North Scallops (Placopecten magellanicus); February 8, 2011
Chairperson: Tara McIntyre
Editor: Kristian Curran
Summary
The sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, is found only in the Northwest Atlantic, from Cape Hatteras to Labrador. Regionally, major areas of offshore fishing activity are Georges Bank, Browns Bank, German Bank, the Eastern Scotian Shelf (Banquereau, Middle Bank, Sable and Western banks), and St. Pierre Bank (south of Newfoundland). In the 1970s and early 1980s, a limited fishery occurred on Browns Bank along the southern edge at water depths greater than 100 m. In 1989, the fishery began to develop on the northern part of the Bank where it generally occurs today. A meeting of the Science Advisory Process was held February 8, 2011, at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to assess the stock. The last formal assessment of the Browns Bank north scallop was undertaken in 1998, although there has never been an analytical assessment model for the stock. The objective of the meeting was to provide harvest advice for the 2011 fishery using a similar model formulation to that developed for the 2009 assessment of Georges Bank scallops. Peer reviewers and meeting participants felt that the Working Paper presented sound scientific analyses based on the best available information on Browns Bank North scallops, and is acceptable for publication as a Research Document pending revision following discussions at the meeting. There was also support for the proposed Science Advisory Report provided edits discussed at the meeting were adopted within the final version of the report. The Science Advisory Report received consensus at the meeting.
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