ScallopRAG and ScallopMAC met on 7 and 9 June, respectively, to consider the outcomes of the 2022 pre-season biomass survey for the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery (BSCZSF) and provide advice to the AFMA Commission on the total allowable catches (TACs), closures and season dates for the BSCZSF 2022 fishing season. The information provided below does not represent the view of the AFMA Commission, who are yet to consider this advice or come to a resolution on the settings for the 2022 fishing season.
ScallopRAG made the following recommendations, which were supported by ScallopMAC and will be presented to the AFMA Commission:
- The commercial scallop TAC be set at 4,000 t (less research catch allowance).
- The doughboy scallop TAC be set at 100 t.
- The following areas be closed:
- Apollo Bay The Hill east (estimated biomass – 4,587 t)
- King Island 9 (estimated biomass - 4,007 t)
- Flinders Island North of Babel A (estimated biomass - 352 t)
- Flinders Island The Wreck A North (estimated biomass – 897 t)
- The fishing season to open on 12 July 2022, or soon thereafter, and close 31 December 2022.
The final meeting minutes and recommendations from ScallopRAG 40 and ScallopMAC 37 will be available on the AFMA website as soon as possible.
Table 1: Summary of information collected for each of the beds surveyed during the 2022 BSCZSF annual biomass survey. AB = Apollo Bay, KI = King Island and FI = Flinders Island. Source: Fishwell Consulting.
Area | Bed | Estimated biomass (t) | % weight > 85 mm | Estimated biomass > 85 mm (t) | Density (ind/m2) | Mean size | Meats/kg (>85 mm) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apollo Bay | AB 5 Hours | 1,037 | 97.8 | 1,014 | 0.43 | 97 | 98 |
 | AB The Hill | 14,601 | 82.5 | 12,050 | 2.39 | 93 | 158 |
 | AB Sub total | 15,638 |  | 13,064 |  |  |  |
Flinders Island | FI NB | 1,578 | 97.8 | 1,544 | 0.34 | 101 | 54 |
 | FI The Wreck A | 1,856 | 99.1 | 1,839 | 0.43 | 100 | 52 |
 | FI The Wreck B | 1,632 | 99.4 | 1,622 | 0.36 | 105 | 48 |
 | FI Sub total | 5,066 |  | 5,005 |  |  |  |
King Island | KI-10 | 3,860 | 82.3 | 3,178 | 2.06 | 95 | 70 |
 | KI-7 | 313 | 46.9 | 147 | 0.14 | 83 | 91 |
 | KI-9 | 10,482 | 38.2 | 4,007 | 1.17 | 87 | 108 |
 | KI-BDSE | 12,707 | 49.4 | 6,278 | 0.97 | 88 | 80 |
 | KI-BDE | 234 | 91.4 | 214 | 0.05 | 91 | 70 |
 | KI Sub total | 27,596 |  | 13,824 |  |  |  |
Total | Â | 48,300 | Â | 31,893 | Â | Â | Â |
Â