US Scallop Harvest: January 2010
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New England Fishery Management Council
The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) voted on January 29, 2010 to set the 2010 targeted scallop harvest at 47 million pounds. Although the vote is expected to reduce this year's catch by 10 million pounds, it did overturn the November 2009 vote which set the target at 41.5 million pounds. The political effort to encourage a reexamination of the cutback was lead by Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank and Governor Deval Patrick while the presentation to the council was coordinated by the Survival Fund.
Were the Cutbacks Necessary?
Although scallops has been one of the best managed fisheries in the US, scientist currently believe that the current over-fishing limit is 57mm pounds which is at or near the expected 2009 harvest. The Council's goal is to keep the harvest well below the over-fishing limit and the industry has outperformed previous targets. The Council is therefore trying to be conservative, partially to make up for two years of big harvests. There are other rationales for a temporary decline in the harvest. The industry has been fishing the Elephant Trunk region heavily for several years, including 54,000 lbs per boat in 2009, for this reason the fishing in this area will be cut back to 36,000 for 2010. There are no other restricted areas that are ready to be opened in 2010, therefore the industry will have 4 trips instead of 5 trips into the restricted areas. Secondly, some scientists feel that there is too much effort in the Open (unrestricted) Area and a pull back in the open area will help stabilize the biomass for future years. It has also become evident in the past six months that the scallops are getting smaller. The primary catch is no longer a 10/20, it's a 20/30 ct/lb and reducing the effort may allow more scallops to grow to 10/20 and U/10 ct/lb in size.
The fishing plan for the 2010 season that begins in March is as follows:
- 2 trips (36,000 lbs) Elephant Trunk
- 1 trip (18,000 lbs) Delmarva
- 1 trip (18,000 lbs) Nantucket Lightship
- 37 days at sea (DAS) - same as 2009
What is the Future of the US Scallop Industry?
The belief is that this will be a one-year decline in the scallop harvest. Hudson Canyon, which has been closed since 2008, is expected to reopen in 2011. Nantucket Lightship, Closed Area I and Closed Area II are expected to continue their three year rotation, while other new areas within Georges Bank are being considered for future openings. It is unknown at this time whether Delmarva could sustain additional trips or whether we will see cutbacks in the Elephant Trunk for 2011. Scientists feel that the 2005 recruitment was excellent and this should benefit the 2011 scallop harvest in the form of quantity and size.
Current Market Conditions
A reduction in the harvest is expected to have an adverse effect on scallop prices. Prices on U/10's are already extremely high and this harvest is expected to be down significantly in 2010. We expect to see fewer 10/20's and a much larger percentage of 20/30's in 2011, possibly increasing the price spread between the two sizes, making 20/30's the best value for the upcoming season.