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    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   48,300   31,893      

     

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    Page last updated: 02/02/2023