Stock Status Update of Scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) in Scallop Production Areas 1 to 6 in the Bay of Fundy

Abstract

Harvesting of Sea Scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) in the Bay of Fundy and Approaches includes commercial, commercial communal, and Food, Social, and Ceremonial (FSC) harvesting. Advice on the status of Scallop in Scallop Production Areas (SPAs) 1 to 6 in the Bay of Fundy (BoF) is requested annually by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Maritimes Fisheries and Aquaculture Management Branch to help determine a total harvest level. The purpose of this report is to update the stock status of Scallop in SPAs 1 to 6 with data from the 2023 Scallop survey and fishery (October 1 to September 30). The last Regional Advisory Process of the BoF Scallop stocks occurred in 2015 (DFO 2016, Nasmith et al. 2016); updates have been conducted since. The last update was in November 2022 (DFO 2023). This Science Response Report results from the Regional Peer Review of November 21, 2023, on the Stock Status Update of Bay of Fundy Scallop in Scallop Production Areas (SPAs) 1A, 1B, and 3–6.