October 8, 2024 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The New England Fishery Management Council received an overview of the 2024 Atlantic sea scallop survey season when it met in Gloucester, Massachusetts for its September 24-26, 2024 meeting. The Council also received updates on: (1) Framework Adjustment 39 to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan, which will set specifications and other measures for the 2025 scallop fishing year; and (2) additional ongoing scallop projects, including the development Georges Bank Scallop Biomass Estimates By Sub-Region (2015 – 2024) of a three-to-five-year strategic plan for the fishery.
2024 SCALLOP SURVEY SEASON: Results from the 2024 scallop survey season indicate that overall biomass remains low compared to the 2016-2019 peak years of the fishery. The population of harvestable-size scallops expected to be available for the 2025 fishing year also remains low and may result in reduced allocations to the fishery.
However, surveys did show some positive signs of recruitment – seed and juvenile scallops – in multiple areas that could contribute to the fishery down the road. Here are a few 2024 survey highlights.
• Overall survey biomass decreased from 2023 to 2024.
• Biomass on Georges Bank is over two times higher than in the Mid-Atlantic, although biomass in the Mid-Atlantic bumped up due to new recruitment in the Elephant Trunk and, to a lesser extent, Hudson Canyon South.
• Multiple surveys documented a large recruitment event in Nantucket Lightship South (see maps below). While not as large as the 2013 year-class, the recruitment event is strong. The Council will consider closing the area in 2025 to protect these young scallops for additional grow-out within revised boundaries that better surround the new recruitment event.
• Area I and Area II on Georges Bank both harbor multiple year classes of scallops, which will prove challenging as the Council considers how to protect smaller scallops while providing access to larger, harvestable-size fiveyear-old scallops. The Council’s Scallop Plan Development Team will investigate options for protecting two-year olds in the Area I-Sliver and Area II Extension.