Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Volume 3 Number 10: Scottish Scallop Stocks - Results of 2011 Assessments

1. Introduction

1.1 Scottish Scallop Fisheries: An Overview

The commercial dredge fishery for the king scallop ( Pecten maximus) in Scotland began in the 1930s as a seasonal (winter) fishery prosecuted by approximately 10 small inshore vessels in the Clyde. The fishery developed rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s, expanding northwards through the rest of the west coast of Scotland, around Shetland and the northeast Scottish coast, and is now a year round activity.

In 2010, total scallop landings into Scotland were in excess of 9,000 tonnes, which with a first-sale value of around £17.5 million ¹ made the fishery the second most important shellfish fishery in Scotland. Over 95% of the landings came from dredge fisheries with the remainder taken by commercial divers.

The most important areas in terms of landings are the Irish Sea, West of Kintyre, the North West, North East and East Coast, with over 80% of annual Scottish landings typically taken in these areas.

The scallop dredge fleet consists of vessels ranging in size from under 10 m to around 30 m in length. The smaller vessels tend to work locally in inshore waters while the larger vessels are more nomadic and may move between fishing grounds around the coast of Scotland and the rest of the UK.

1.2 Management Framework and Regulations

Scottish scallop fisheries are not subject to EU or national TAC regulations. There are EU measures to restrict effort in addition to a variety of national regulations. Under the Western Waters effort regime (which applies to all UK waters except the North Sea), effort limits are applicable to all vessels over 15 m in length, including those fishing for scallops. The limits for UK vessels are 1,974,425 KW days for Sub-areas V and VI and 3,315,619 KW days for Sub-area VII (Council Regulation ( EC) No. 1415/2004).

Minimum landing size ( MLS) is also specified through EU legislation. In the Irish Sea north of 52°30'N, the MLS is 110 mm, while in all other areas a MLS of 100 mm applies (Council Regulation ( EC) No. 850/98).

All vessels fishing commercially for scallops in Scotland are required to have a license and no new licenses are granted. The Prohibition of Fishing for Scallops (Scotland) Order 2003 introduced gear restrictions which vary according to where fishing takes place: a maximum of eight dredges per side is allowed in Scottish inshore waters (out to six nautical miles); a maximum of 10 per side in any other part of the UK territorial sea adjacent to Scotland (out to 12 nautical miles); and 14 per side in any other part of the Scottish zone (out to 200 nautical miles). The Order also prohibits the use of "French" dredges (a design incorporating water deflecting plates and rigid fixed teeth) in Scottish inshore waters. In addition, a number of areas around Scotland are subject to seasonal ( e.g. Luce Bay) or other temporal closures (weekend ban in the Clyde).

Shellfish fisheries (including the dredge fishery for scallops) around Shetland are managed under a Regulating Order (The Shetland Islands Regulated Fishery (Scotland) Order 1999) by the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation ( SSMO). Scallop vessels at Shetland are limited to a maximum of five dredges per side and to fishing within the hours of 0600 to 2100. As a condition of the licences issued by the SSMO, fishermen are required to provide detailed records of landings and fishing effort (Leslie et al., 2009).

The Scottish itinerant fleet of large dredge vessels regularly fish in the Irish Sea in the waters around the Isle of Man where their fishing activity is regulated by local (Isle of Man) legislation (Sea Fisheries (Scallop Fishing) Bye-Laws 1999 and 2010 ). This includes various gear restrictions and curfews (dependent on zone) and a series of permanent and temporary closed areas.