The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) is recommending significantly lower quotas for the scallop fishery in the U.S. Northeast due to a decline in biomass.
The council officially recommended Framework 36 for the 2023 scallop fishing year, which would result in estimated landings of 25 million pounds of scallops valued at “roughly" USD 398 million (EUR 377 million). That estimated catch would represent a significantly lower total than recent years. Scallop landings peaked in 2019 at 60.5 million pounds, and were projected at 34 million pounds for the 2022 fishing year.
That drop in catch coincides a drop in estimated value: In 2019, the fishery was valued at USD 570 million (EUR 540 million).
The decrease, according to a release from the NEFMC, is related to a significant drop in scallop biomass. Survey estimates in 2022 showed the scallop biomass was at its lowest level since 1999, related to an extended stretch of below-average recruitment in the fishery.
Recent high landings of scallops stemmed from the “exceptionally large” 2012 and 2013 year-class, which had extremely high recruitment that drove robust landings. Those scallops, the council said, have “passed through the fishery,” and years of below-average recruitment resulted in the lower biomass.
Surveys in 2022 did show positive signs for the fishery, as the NEFMC said that there are “several areas with new sets of seed scallops” and beds with concentrations of small scallops.
“These are positive signs that bode well for the future,” the NEFMC said in September.
In order to protect the recent recruitment, the NEFMC recommended four closed areas for the 2023 fishing season: Area 1, Nantucket Lightship West, New York Bight, and Elephant Trunk.
The council supported allocating two 12,000-pound access trips to Area II and 24 open area days-at-sea for full time scallop permit holders – with Nantucket Lightship North the only open access area. Part-time permit holders will get one 9,600 pound trip in Area II and 9.6 open days in Nantucket Lightship North.
The council also voted to give limited-access general category individual fishing quota permit holders access to Nantucket Lightship North due to its closer proximity to the shore than Area II.
“Given that many of these vessels are smaller in size and have additional weather and range challenges in reaching Area II, the council voted to allow LAGC IFQ vessels to fish their access area trips in the Nantucket Lightship North in addition to Area II,” the council said.
Photo courtesy of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science
