Stock status update for scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) in scallop fishing area 29 west of longitude 65°30'

Abstract

Advice on the status of Scallops in Scallop Fishing Area (SFA) 29 West of Longitude 65º30’ (herein referred to as SFA 29 West) is requested annually by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Resource Management to help determine a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and estimate risk of different harvest scenarios. The last full assessment of SFA 29 West was conducted in 2015 (DFO 2015, Sameoto et al. 2015); since then, updates have been conducted annually except in 2021. The objectives of this Science Response are to update the status of the SFA 29 West Scallop stocks in 2021, evaluate the bycatch of non-target species from available information for the 2021 fishery, and evaluate the consequence of various potential harvest levels for the 2022 fishery. This Science Response Report results from the Regional Science Response Process of March 23, 2022, on the Stock Status Update of Scallop in Scallop Fishing Area (SFA) 29 West of 65º30’.