Atlantic Fisheries Research Document 1996/014

1995 Bay of Fundy scallop stock assessments: Digby and 1995 landings by statistical district for the Bay of Fundy

By E. Kenchington; D.L. Roddick; M.J. Lundy

Abstract

Landings by the Digby fleet have declined to 1231 mt since the peak of the fishery in 1989. The 1995 landings of 291 mt for the Digby beds reached 80% of 1994 landings, however, with the closure of the Inside Zone and the extended area up to Port Lorne, landings in the Inside Zone (72 mt) were only 53% of 1994 values. Landings from the Outside Zone (219 mt) were stable from 1994 to 1995. Thus the difference in landings is largely an effect of the closure of the Inside Zone. Catch per unit effort (kg/h) was the lowest on record in 1995 in both zones (Inside: 10.6, Outside: 8.75). Effort (hours fished) increased in the Outside Zone, but declined in the Inside Zone. Scallop abundance of recruited year classes remains very low, but has not declined substantially from the 1994 survey estimates. The adult scallops are generally more abundant in the Outside Zone. Overall, densities of 1-100 animals per standard tow were common. This is in sharp contrast to the peak of the fishery (1989-90) where over 2000 animals per standard tow were harvested. Numerically, the number of pre-recruits are the largest we have detected since 1990, however, the magnitude and distribution of pre-recruits in the Digby area is not comparable to the large numbers seen from 1986-1989. This pre-recruit year class (age 2) is predominant in the Inside Zone off Gullivers Head and Centreville, but extends upstream to Delaps Cove. The concentrations of age 3 scallops in the Outside Zone off Digby were detected in the 1994 survey. Overall, there is little evidence of recruitment above Delaps Cove. The 1996 catch projection for the Outside Zone results in yields of 213 mt fishing at F_0.1 and 311 mt fishing at F_max.

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