Estimated Catch: 3301 tonnes

STOCK STATUS OF TARGET SPECIES

Source: Patterson, H, Williams, A, Woodhams, J and Curtotti, R 2019, Fishery status reports 2019, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Canberra. CC BY 4.0.

MANAGEMENT PLANS/ARRANGEMENTS

The Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery continues to be managed in accordance with the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Management Plan 2002. The Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery is managed through open and closed seasons, area closures, catch limits and size limits. Fishers must hold statutory fishing rights to fish in this fishery.

The performance criteria detailed in the fishery management plan were all met in 2018-19.

ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE

Status of fish stocks

Scallop abundance and recruitment is naturally variable and consequently they are not managed to a specific biomass target. Instead, the operational objectives of the harvest strategy are to:

• keep stocks at ecologically sustainable levels and, within that context, maximise returns to the Australian community
• pursue efficient and cost-effective management.

A scientific pre-season survey was undertaken to estimate the biomass of scallops from known areas (not across the whole fishery) which informed catch limits and closures for the season.

The 2018 pre-season survey estimated a large biomass of scallops, primarily in the western part of the fishery off King Island. While the biomass was the largest recorded for the fishery for many years, there was limited evidence of new recruitment. As such, a conservative total allowable catch limit of 3876 tonnes was set of which 3253 tonnes (84 per cent) was caught.

Economic returns

The Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Harvest Strategy focuses on ensuring the sustainability of the stock by protecting areas of spawning biomass each season. This approach allows industry the flexibility to catch scallops from open beds, thereby improving economic returns while ensuring continued ecological sustainability. As the status of the scallop resource continues to improve, AFMA, in consultation with the Economic Working Group, Scallop Resource Assessment Group and industry, has started investigating how to integrate economic information into the total allowable catch setting process. This approach will continue to be developed during 2019-20.

Scallop Apollo Bay, Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Photo courtesy Dylan Maskey AFMA Media Library

Positive trends in the economic outlook for the scallop fishery continued through 2018-19 with good catches and stable beach prices. The number of vessels operating has remained stable.