Research Document 1997/80
État des stocks de pétoncle des eaux côtières du Québec
By M. Giguère and S. Brulotte
Abstract
This report presents data used in the assessments of the scallop populations in the coastal waters Quebec. In Quebec, there are 17 management units for the scallop fishery covering the areas around Îles-de-la-Madeleine, the Gaspé peninsula and along the North Shore. In 1996, 82 regular permits were issued. The stock assessments for Gaspé peninsula scallops and North Shore scallops is based on commercial indices. For Îles-de-la-Madeleine scallops and area 16De scallops on the North Shore, both commercial indices and research survey indices are used in assessments. In Quebec, Iceland scallops (Chlamys islandica) and sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) are fished indiscriminately. The landings are usually in the form of meat. In 1996, preliminary scallop landings in Quebec amounted to 260 t meat, of which 71 % was from the North Shore, 18 % from Îles-de-la-Madeleine and 11 % from the Gaspé peninsula.
Scallop landings in Îles-de-la-Madeleine were around 46 t in 1996, which is 23 % lower than in 1995. Very few prerecruits (scallops < 70 mm) were observed in 1996. After the 1996 fishing season, almost all scallop beds were decimated. Fishing intensity in Îles-de-la-Madeleine is disproportionate to the availability of scallops. Only the eastern part of Chaîne-de-la-Passe fishing ground could support fishing in 1997 at a reduced intensity. Between now and 1999, recruitment shows no encouraging sign for the fishery.
Landings from the Gaspé peninsula are mostly from Chaleur Bay (19A) and Anticosti Island (18B). Area 19A landings have been stable since 1986. The fluctuations observed in Gaspé peninsula landings are due to the periodic fishing of Iceland scallops in area 18B. The decrease in catch per unit effort in area 19A should be watched. The situation in areas 17A (northern shore of the Gaspé peninsula) and 18B is not worrisome for moment, since fishing intensity on the resource in these areas is low.
In 1996, 185 t of scallop meat were landed on the North Shore of Quebec. The fishery in areas 16A, 16B and 16C on the Upper North Shore is unstable. Exploratory fishing in the past and the present status of the fishery indicate limited potential in these areas. The Middle North Shore is the most productive for scallops in Quebec. Landings peaked in 1990 at 300 t. In 1996, scallop landings amounted to 146 t, coming mostly from area 16De. Over the past five years, natural mortality has increased considerably in areas 16D and 16G, and catch per unit effort has dropped in area 16G. In area 16E, the climatic conditions are not favourable to a sustained fishery. In area 18A (Anticosti Island), increasing catch per unit effort seems to indicate good status for the scallop beds. Landings on the Lower North Shore are low. The stock status of scallops on the Lower North Shore is clearly at a critical level. It is apparent that fishing pressure exceeds the production capacity of the scallop populations.
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