Stock status update of Georges Bank ‘a’ Scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) for the 2024 fishing season

Abstract

Advice on the status of the Georges Bank Scallop stock is requested annually by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Resource Management to help determine an annual total allowable catch (TAC, meat weight) in support of the fishery. The purpose of this report is to update the status of Georges Bank Scallop with data from the fishery (January 1 to December 31) and the 2023 DFO Maritimes Offshore Scallop Survey (hereafter referred to as the ‘survey’) to provide science advice for the management of the 2024 fishery. This stock status update uses the assessment framework established in 2009 (Jonsen et al. 2009) and accepted during the peer-reviewed Regional Advisory Process of 2013 (DFO 2013, Hubley et al. 2014). Updates have been conducted annually since 2014 with the exception of 2021, which did not occur because the 2020 survey was cancelled due to challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic (DFO 2022). This update for the Scallop fishery on Georges Bank pertains to zone ‘a’. Georges Bank zone ‘b’ has separate management measures. Some elements of the fishery in zone ‘b’ are also presented for continuity. This Science Response report results from the regional peer review of February 13, 2024, on the Stock Status Update of Offshore Scallop: Browns Bank North and Georges Bank ‘a’.