King scallop

Information about Scottish East Coast king scallops is limited. There is not enough information to determine whether the population is at a healthy size, although it appears to be growing. Fishing effort has recently decreased, so there is not currently concern for fishing pressure. King scallop fishing in the east coast of Scotland developed in the 1990s, when landings fluctuated between 300 and 2,000 tonnes. Landings peaked at 2,900t in 2016 and have since declined to around 960t.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of a recent stock assessment. King scallops are considered to have high resilience to fishing pressure.The most recent stock assessments for scallops in Scottish waters were carried out in 2016. Annual scallop surveys have been carried out since then, but no stock assessments have been made publicly available. The four survey areas are: Shetland, West Coast, North East Coast and East Coast. A fifth assessment area is in Orkney, where the first survey was carried out in 2019. Covid disruption has prevented additional surveys since then.The 2016 stock assessment did not provide reference points for fishing pressure or biomass. However, it did show that the spawning stock biomass (SSB) decreased from 2013-2016. The reported SSB in 2016 was 9,728 tonnes – the lowest since 2001 and below the 10-year average of 13,036t. As a result, Marine Scotland Science advised that there should be no increase in fishing effort on this stock, and to consider measures to safeguard the spawning stock.From 2017-2021, fishing effort for scallops in Scotland in general declined, and scallop landings per unit of effort (kW Days) increased. This suggests a potential increase in stock sizes. Landings of king scallops from the East Coast stock declined from a peak of 2,914t in 2016 to 463t in 2022. This is the lowest catch since 2001.The changes in effort and the increase in LPUE suggest that Scottish scallop populations have been able to grow under current levels of fishing pressure. Therefore, we consider there to be no concern for fishing pressure. However, there is no stock-specific data to indicate how effort or LPUE has changed for the East Coast stock, and no benchmark to indicate what a healthy stock size would be. As a result of these data limitations, we remain concerned for the biomass until stock assessments can be provided.

Few appropriate management measures are in place to control scallop fishing in Scotland. Improvements are needed to improve understanding of the stock and the fishery, ensure that vessels are complying with regulations, and protect both scallop stocks and habitats.Most of the scallop catch from the Scottish East Coast is by Scottish vessels (around 80%), and the remainder is from England. There is currently no Fishery Management Plan, harvest strategy, or quota for scallops in Scotland. There are also no recent stock assessments to inform management. Management cannot therefore be responsive to changes in stock, and does not adequately ensure that fishing is controlled to protect the species. As the last assessment in 2016 indicated concern for the stock, management requires considerable improvement.Scallop dredge fisheries in Scotland, including the East Coast, are managed through the Regulation of Scallop Fishing (Scotland) Order 2017. Measures include:A minimum landing size (MLS) of 105mm to protect the breeding stock. Scallops are thought to mature at age 3 or around 80mm, although growth rates vary. Therefore, juveniles are protected. However, it is smaller than the MLS elsewhere in the UK, which is 110mm, and may not adequately protect the breeding stock because scallop reproductivity increases with size.Licenses for those who hadn't fished from 2011-2017 were suspended in 2017 to restrict future effort increases. Vessel owners can only get licenses for replacement vessels if they are not more powerful than the previous vessel, also to restrict future effort increases. In 2021 there were 71 active scallop fishing vessels in Scotland, a reduction from 86 in 2020.A number of areas are closed to scallop dredging to protect the seabed. Seabed protection is important not only to control the impacts of scallop dredging, but to ensure that conditions are suitable for future scallop populations.The number of dredges that boats can use in 0-12nm is limited to 16, increasing to 28 in any other part of the Scottish zone (out to 200nm). There are some exemptions. For example, in the 6-12nm zone, 20 dredges can be used if vessels are using REM. These inshore limits are higher than in Wales, the Isle of Man and England, where the maximum in the 0-6nm zone varies from 8-12, and up to 16 in the 6-12nm zone.Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) is required on some scallop dredgers. It must have 2 cameras to record setting and hauling fishing gear, winch sensors to record when fishing is happening, and GPS to ping location every 10 seconds. Those that are fishing within 0-6nm with 16 dredges or less (8 per side, each on a towbar of up to 7.5 metres) do not need REM.The Marine Conservation Society responded to the 2014 consultation on the Regulation of Scallop Fishing (Scotland) Order. Our position is that:The minimum landing size should be 110mmA night time curfew in the inshore zone is needed to protect mobile benthic speciesMore spatial closures are needed to better protect scallop grounds and vulnerable habitatsThe footprint of the fishery should be frozen to prevent expansion onto new habitatsIn 2023, the Scottish government confirmed that REM would be made mandatory on all scallop dredge vessels, but had not defined a timeline for this at the time of writing (December 2023). The implementation of REM across the scallop dredge fleet is very positive. MCS believes that Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) with cameras is one of the most cost-effective tools fisheries managers have for delivering reliable fisheries data and for making informed management decisions. Fully accountable and fully monitored fisheries can improve collaboration and data accuracy, supporting stock recovery, improved selectivity, and minimisation of impacts on marine wildlife and habitats. However, this can only be fully realised if REM is used not only for mapping locations of fishing activity, but also documenting catch and bycatch, especially where there is a risk of impacts on vulnerable species and habitats.In addition, there has been a process since to rollout inshore Vessel Monitoring Systems (i-VMS) on Scottish vessels under 12m since 2020. It was reported that the scallop sector was nearing completion in 2022. This should improve understanding of where dredging is happening in the inshore zone, if and when the data is shared.There have been some suspected instances, and at least one confirmed instance of a scallop dredger operating illegally inside Scottish MPAs. There is no evidence that this is occurring on a large scale but we would strongly encourage commercial buyers to verify the catch locations of their scallops.In the 0-6nm zone, there are also non-statutory Regional Inshore Fisheries Groups (RIFGs). They do not have powers to set byelaws or implement management measures. The North and East Coast RIFG (NECRIFG) covers the coast from the English border up to Durness. NECRIFG published a Fisheries Management Plan in 2019 that is based on the Scottish Government's Scottish Inshore Fisheries Strategy. It included plans for habitat mapping and managing gear conflict between the static and towed gear sectors.Project UK is implementing Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) on twelve UK fisheries that are important to the UK market. This includes dredged scallops around the UK. The FIP began in 2019 and has an end date of April 2024, at which point it should be ready to undergo MSC certification.The FIP has been successful in tackling some issues, including improving understanding of stock boundaries, bycatch and habitat impacts. These outcomes are not inconsiderable. However, there has been very little change to how scallop fishing is carried out, and there is not enough in place to protect scallops from being overfished. For example, there is no harvest strategy that can respond to stock status by reducing fishing pressure when stocks decline. There also appears to have been no change in fishing practices to reduce bycatch or habitat impacts. Therefore, we do not consider the FIP to have addressed all key environmental issues in this fishery, and it does not meet GFG guidelines for application of a FIP Improver score.The annual FIP report from 2024 indicates that it currently is failing on harvest strategy and harvest control rules, which will prevent it from achieving certification. The FIP lists Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) as a delivery mechanism for improvements. The proposed FMP for king scallops in England and Wales does not include a harvest strategy, although it does include a proposal to develop one. An FMP in Northern Ireland is expected to be consulted on in 2024. There are no plans to develop a scallop FMP in Scotland. Given that the FIP will end in April 2024, and no FMPs will be delivering harvest strategies or control rules by that point, we do not consider it possible for this key issue to be addressed within the FIP timescale.More information is here and here.

Scallop dredging can be very damaging to seabed habitats and species. Some areas are closed to dredging but some vulnerable habitats and species remain unprotected.Almost all scallop catches from the east coast are by dredging (over 99%), with occasional catches from trawling, potting and passive gears. The main environmental impact from dredging is its effect on the seabed. This impact varies depending on which habitats the dredging happens on (see below for more details).While work has been undertaken to understand the impact of scallop fishing in Scottish waters, there are still a number of data gaps. Firstly, the under 12m fishing fleet, which is more likely to be fishing close to the shore, has historically not been required to have tracking equipment that can show where it is dredging. However, data from the over 12m fleet clearly shows that dredging is happening inshore. Secondly, more work is needed to map and protect vulnerable habitats. In 2014, Scotland identified 81 Priority Marine Features (PMFs), which are habitats and species that are a priority for conservation. More data is required, as part of Scotland's National Marine Plan, to ensure that PMFs are not significantly impacted by fishing activity, and ensure that inshore waters undergo low-impact fishing. Scotland’s Marine Assessment 2020 predicts that around 50% of the inshore areas on the East Coast (Forth and Tay and North East regions) are subjected to high levels of disturbance by fishing. The Marine Conservation Society responded to the 2014 consultation on the Regulation of Scallop Fishing (Scotland) Order. Our position is that:There should be a low impact zone from 0-3nm with a presumption against high impact fishing methods such as dredgingA night time curfew in the inshore zone is needed to protect mobile benthic speciesMore spatial closures are needed to better protect scallop grounds and vulnerable habitatsThe footprint of the fishery should be frozen to prevent expansion onto new habitatsScottish inshore scallop dredging is less restricted than elsewhere in the UK. In Scotland, each boat can tow up to 16 dredges in the 0-6nm zone, and up to 20 from 6-12nm if the vessel is using REM. This is higher than in Wales, the Isle of Man and England, where the maximum in the 0-6nm zone varies from 8-12, and up to 16 in the 6-12nm zone.There are a number of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Scottish waters. Some of these are designated to protect the seabed, and are closed to scallop dredging. Others are only partially closed to dredging. There have been some suspected instances, and at least one confirmed instance of a scallop dredger operating illegally inside Scottish MPAs, particularly on the west coast of Scotland. Any scallops known to be caught illegally from an MPA would receive a default red rating on the Good Fish Guide. There is no evidence that this is occurring on a large scale, but we would strongly encourage commercial buyers to verify the catch locations of their scallops.Bycatch by dredges may also be of concern. Non-quota species are allowed to be caught as bycatch in scallop fisheries, as long as they comprise less than 5% of the total catch. Surveys from 2009-2019 have indicated that in Scottish scallop fisheries in general, around 13% of the catch by weight is bycatch, although not all of this is non-quota species. Species commonly encountered include queen scallops, brown crab, whelks and plaice, although differences were observed between the different areas. There is concern for populations of brown crab and whelk in Scotland. However, most (around 75%) of the animals that scallop dredges interact with remain on the seafloor and are not recorded in bycatch surveys.In 2023, the Scottish government confirmed that REM would be made mandatory on all scallop dredge vessels, but had not defined a timeline for this at the time of writing (December 2023). The implementation of REM across the scallop dredge fleet is very positive. MCS believes that fully accountable and fully monitored fisheries can improve selectivity and reduce impacts on marine wildlife and habitats. However, this can only be fully realised if REM is used not only for mapping fishing activity, but also documenting catch and bycatch, especially where there is a risk of impacts on vulnerable species and habitats.About scallop dredging:A typical king scallop dredge, known as a Newhaven dredge, is a heavy steel frame with a chainmail net. There is a toothed bar at the front that penetrates the seabed, flipping the scallop into the net. Dredges are connected to a tow bar that travels over the seabed, and there can be up to 20 dredges per bar. The number of dredges and tow bars are limited by the engine power of the vessel, and by various legislation around the UK.On average, global studies estimate that scallop dredging penetrates seabeds by around 6cm, and can reduce community abundance and species richness by 8-12% per dredge pass. Recovery can take months or years, depending on the species affected. The impacts vary, depending on the type of seabed, the species that live there, and the level of natural disturbance from waves and storms. In more disturbed areas, the habitats and species may be faster growing and more easily able to recover. Sheltered and inshore areas are more likely to have slow-growing, delicate species, like maerl, seagrass, horse mussels and seafans. Sandy areas are generally less sensitive and more easily able to recover. Gravelly seabed communities are more susceptible because they are quite stable and therefore more likely to have larger, longer-lived species.Impacts can include:Removal of species from the seabed and reduction of biodiversity. In particular, it can change the composition of the ecosystem towards shorter lived and faster growing species that can more easily recover from dredging.Reduction in the complexity of the seabed, which can reduce the number of suitable habitats on which species can settle.Resuspension of sediments, which can smother species and prevent photosynthesis or filter feeding.

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