Queen scallop

There is very little information about queen scallop populations in the Irish Sea. Therefore, there is concern for both biomass and fishing pressure.This rating covers queen scallop stocks in the Irish Sea beyond of the territorial waters of Wales, Isle of Man (0-12 nautical miles) and Northern Ireland (0-6nm). There are no specific data for landings from this area. Queen scallop landings from the whole of area 7a (Irish Sea) rapidly increased from 2008 to a peak of over 20,000 tonnes in 2011. Landings then declined again and have been around 3,000 tonnes since 2017. For 2020, landings of queen scallop from the Irish Sea are 85% lower than the 2011 peak.The are no stock assessments, although efforts are underway to develop one. Route 2 scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of data. Queen scallops are considered to have medium resilience to fishing pressure.It is thought that queen scallop stocks throughout the Irish Sea could be interconnected. Research suggests a pan-Irish Sea approach to scallop assessment and management may be more appropriate, as high fishing pressure in the Irish Sea can influence the reproductive capacity of Isle of Man stocks too. Therefore, for effective management, a regional-scale approach may be more suitable.There are very few management measures to control fishing outside of inshore and territorial waters. Based on the lack of data and management, there is concern for both the biomass and fishing pressure of Irish Sea queen scallops.

Few appropriate management measures are in place to control queen scallop fishing in the Irish Sea outside of territorial waters. There are currently no catch limits or controls to prevent overfishing.The Irish Sea hosts the UK’s main queen scallop fishery. While some management measures are in place within the territorial waters of Wales, Isle of Man (0-12nm), and Northern Ireland (0-6nm), this rating applies only to areas of the Irish Sea outside those jurisdictions.It is recommended that the queen scallop fishery across the Irish Sea be assessed and managed as a single biological stock. Inconsistent management and disproportionate fishing effort between regions poses a risk to interconnected populations However, there is currently no coordinated or joint management approach in place.As with most UK scallop fisheries, there are no quotas or catch limits in place. At present, there is no harvest strategy or comprehensive management plan, and no stock assessments to determine whether the population is healthy or capable of withstanding current fishing pressure.Key management measures for the broader region include:Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS): 40mmSeasonal Closure: April to June.Licensing: A commercial fishing licence is required, but a dredge permit is not.Western Waters Effort Regime: A limit of 70 days fishing between 1 January and 31 March.Only queen scallops exceeding 40mm may be landed, and they must be landed whole. However, since queen scallop maturity typically occurs at around 55mm, this minimum size allows juveniles to be caught, potentially impacting the reproductive capacity and long-term stability of the stock. Although the seasonal closure from April to June is designed to protect spawning individuals, spawning can occur as early as March and may continue sporadically through the summer, including a secondary event in the autumn.Management compliance in the EU and UK has been inconsistent, with ongoing challenges in enforcing some regulations.The Marine Conservation Society views Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) with cameras is one of the most cost-effective tools for providing reliable fisheries data and aiding informed management decisions. Fully monitored fisheries enhance collaboration, data accuracy, stock recovery, and reduce impacts on marine wildlife and habitats. However, the full potential of REM may only be achieved when it tracks fishing location and documents catch and bycatch, particularly where vulnerable species and habitats are at risk. As of January 2024, the EU is introducing a Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) mandate for EU vessels, including CCTV cameras on vessels 18m or more that pose a potential risk of non-compliance, within the next 4 years. Across the UK, different approaches to REM are being taken and legislation is expected to be in place across all 4 countries within the next few years.The Fisheries Act (2020) requires the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) (replacing EU Multi-Annual Plans) in the UK. 43 FMPs have been proposed and are at various stages of development and implementation, these should all be published by the end of 2028. FMPs have the potential to be very important tools for managing UK fisheries, although data limitations may delay them for some stocks. It is also essential the UK governments define and adopt a standardised approach or model across the four nations to a universally defined FMP design, to ensure the consistence, quality and coherence of all the proposal FMPs.The Marine Conservation Society is keen to see publicly available Fishery Management Plans for all commercially exploited stocks, especially where stocks are depleted, that include:An overview of the fishery including current stock status, spatial coverage, current fishing methods and impactsTargets for fishing pressure and biomass, and additional management when those targets are not being met, based on the best scientific evidenceTimeframes for stock recoveryImproved data collection, transparency, and accountability, supported by technologies such as Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM)Consideration of wider environmental impacts of the fishery, including habitat impacts and minimising bycatchStakeholder engagementQueen scallop is included in the Queen scallop FMP, coordinated by Defra. At the time of writing, it is too soon to know whether proposed management measures will be effective in managing the stock. For more information about this FMP and expected progress and timelines, see [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joint-fisheries-statement-jfs/list-of-fisheries-management-plans].

Scallop dredging can be very damaging to seabed habitats and species. There are currently limited controls on where dredging can happen in this area, and therefore vulnerable habitats and species may be at risk.According to MMO landings data for the Irish Sea in 2023, queen scallops were predominantly harvested using dredges (86.6%), and less so by demersal trawls (13.4%).The dredges used for queen scallops are 'skid dredges'. These are similar to those used for king scallops - both use a heavy steel frame with a chainmail net. However, the king scallop dredge has a toothed bar at the front that penetrates the seabed, flipping the scallop into the net. Skid dredges have a tickler chain that moves on top of the seabed, and therefore is less damaging to seabed habitats. Damage is still possible from the skids or skis that the dredge rests on, which move along the sea floor.Scallop dredging can penetrate the seabed, potentially reducing species abundance and richness by 8-12% per pass. Recovery times vary depending on the species and habitat, ranging from months to years. More dynamic environments, such as sandy or wave-exposed areas, support faster-growing species that recover more quickly. In contrast, sheltered habitats like gravel beds or inshore zones, often host slow-growing, long-lived species such as maerl, and sea fans, which are more vulnerable to damage and slower to recover.The seabed in the Irish Sea comprises of coarse sediment, mud, and muddy sand, but also supports highly diverse and vulnerable habitats such as horse mussel beds, sea pens, and rocky reefs – some of which are within designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Dredging in sensitive habitats can cause long-lasting ecological damage, with recovery potentially taking decades. Currently, a portion of the West of Walney Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) is protected from bottom-towed fishing gear. However, the proposed 2024 Irish Sea Marine Protected Areas Fishing Gear Byelaw would extend the prohibited area across the entire West of Walney MCZ and prohibit the use of bottom-towed gear in an additional three MPAs. Until implemented, however, vulnerable benthic features within these MPAs remain at risk.In 2022, around 61% of waters shallower than 800m in the Celtic Seas ecoregion were subject to bottom-towed gears, with the 0-200m zone most affected – average 1.3 fishing events. Bottom-towed gear is prohibited below 800m, where deep-sea vulnerable marine ecosystems are present. Since 2012, bottom-towed gear activity has remained at relatively stable levels in the region.Within the Irish Sea, the most intensive bottom trawling occurs between Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, but this zone is considered less sensitive to benthic disturbance than other areas. This zone also overlaps with key queen scallop harvesting grounds. In 2023, more than 95% of queen scallop landings originated from around the Isle of Man and offshore northern Wales (ICES rectangles 36E5, 36E7, 37E5). Queen scallop dredging is prohibited from April to June in the Irish Sea, so benthic impacts are lessened during this time.Bycatch in dredge fisheries is also of concern. It can include vulnerable species like sharks, skates and rays. Skid dredges appear to have lower bycatch rates than king scallop dredges. However, there is not enough data to understand the impacts of queen scallop dredging on species in the Irish Sea. Bycatch data is limited in many UK and EU fisheries as they are generally not well monitored.

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