Research Document 1998/149
The Iceland Scallop: A Fishery Under Siege in Newfoundland
By K.S. Naidu, F.M. Kahill, and E.M. Seward
Abstract
The recent fishery for Iceland scallop over the Grand Banks of Newfoundland has been driven by an accumulated virgin biomass, consisting largely of cohorts of old, possibly well-separated, year-classes with little potential for further growth. The high unit value combined with low annual production has led to rapid depletion of "new-found" aggregations, sometimes within a single season and preclude contemplated management or conservation measures. In practice, exploitation of Iceland scallop resources in Newfoundland has been based largely on short-term economics rather than considerations of resource sustainability per se. Declines in abundance indices, sometimes precipitous, and catch per unit effort have been exacerbated by high incidental fishing mortality. Exploitation rates on this highly aggregated species have in effect been substantially higher than the target 10% hitherto used to estimate appropriate catch levels from abundance indices. At current levels of fishing effort all known commercial aggregations could be severely depleted before significant recovery occurs. Fishing for scallops should be considered a low volume, high value activity.
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