ScallopRAG and ScallopMAC met on 19 and 20 June, respectively, to consider the outcomes of the 2025 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 2025 fishing season. The information provided below does not represent the view of the AFMA Commission, which is yet to consider this advice or come to a resolution on the settings for the 2025 fishing season.
Recommendations
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 tonnes (less research catch allowance);
- The doughboy scallop TAC be set at 100 tonnes;
- The following areas recommended to be closed:
- Flinders Island 1, (estimated biomass ≥85 mm 2,923 tonnes, 0.42 ind/m2)
- King Island Three Hummocks south-east – partial closure above 40°0.510'S (estimated biomass ≥85 mm 2,965 tonnes, 3.47 ind/m2)
King Island Lavina North – partial closure between 39°35.911'S and 39°38.911'S (estimated biomass ≥85 mm 916 tonnes, 0.39 ind/m2)
(Total recommended closed estimated biomass ≥85 mm – 6,804 tonnes)
- The fishing season is recommended to open on 12 July 2025, or soon thereafter, and close 31 December 2025.
- The final meeting minutes and recommendations from ScallopRAG 46 and ScallopMAC 40 will be available on the AFMA website as soon as possible. A summary of information collected for each of the beds surveyed during the 2024 BSCZSF annual biomass survey is provided in Table 1.
- High numbers of the eleven-armed sea stars have been reported while undertaking the pre-season survey within the BSCZSF. This native species, while naturally occurring in this region, may impact fishing when present in high densities.
Table 1: Summary of information collected for each of the beds surveyed during the 2024 BSCZSF annual biomass survey. AB = Apollo Bay, KI = King Island and FI = Flinders Island. Source: Fishwell Consulting.
Area | Bed | Estimated biomass | % weight ³ 85 mm | Estimated biomass | Density | Mean length (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apollo | AB - The Hill North | 41 t | 66.7% | 27 t | 0.01 ind/m2 | 88 mm |
Sub-total | 41 t | 27 t | ||||
Flinders | FI - 1 | 3326 t | 87.9% | 2923 t | 0.42 ind/m2 | 92 mm |
| FI - 5 | 251 t | 75.6% | 190 t | 0.07 ind/m2 | 89 mm |
| FI - South - North of Babel | 1096 t | 82.8% | 908 t | 0.32 ind/m2 | 83 mm |
Sub-total | 4673 t | 4021 t | ||||
King Island | KI - 10 | 794 t | 83.0% | 659 t | 0.68 ind/m2 | 88 mm |
| KI - 11 | 8810 t | 87.6% | 7717 t | 1.9 ind/m2 | 92 mm |
| KI - 12 | 1085 t | 90.4% | 981 t | 0.51 ind/m2 | 90 mm |
KI - 3 Hummock SE | 6462 t | 92.7% | 5992 t | 2.61 ind/m2 | 93 mm | |
KI - Blue Dot Extended | 845 t | 63.2% | 534 t | 0.14 ind/m2 | 85 mm | |
KI - Lavinia East | 6335 t | 97.2% | 6159 t | 0.93 ind/m2 | 98 mm | |
KI - Lavinia North | 4473 t | 97.2% | 4347 t | 0.79 ind/m2 | 97 mm | |
Sub-total | 28804 t | 26389 t | ||||
Total | 33518 t | 30437 t | ||||