ICES area 7d and Lyme Bay king scallop dredge fishery closure proposals summer 2024
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Detail of outcome
Having considered displacement of scallop dredge vessels from the EU closure to EU waters in ICES division 7d (May – September 2023) which resulted in a 39% increase in king scallop (Pectens maximus) landings in UK 7d waters from 2022-2023 for the month of May, the consultation responses and scientific advice on the stock biomass, UKFAs agreed to introduce the following closure in UK waters for the king scallop dredge fishery:
- ICES division 7d for UK and EU vessels over 10 m in length from 15 May to 30 September 2024.
- Lyme Bay area of 7e (ICES rectangles 29E6, 29E7, 30E6 and 30E7) for UK and EU vessels over 12 m in length from 15 May to 30 September 2024.
- This closure will be applied to both 2024 and 2025. This will remain under review for this period. Should data and scientific evidence indicate significant changes, re-consultation will occur.
The closure will be enacted through a licence variation.
What happens next?
The closure will be enacted by a licence variation.
The variation will include:
- A prohibition to all vessels using scallop dredges over 10 m in length from 15 May - 30 September 2024 in UK waters of ICES division 7d.
- A prohibition to all vessels using scallop dredges over 12 m in length from 15 May - 30 September 2024 in Lyme Bay area of 7e (ICES rectangles 29E6, 29E7, 30E6 and 30E7).
Original consultation
Consultation description
2024 consultation
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), on behalf of UK Fisheries Administrations (UKFAs), is seeking views on proposals to close English waters in the ICES area 7d and Lyme Bay in ICES area 7e to the king scallop (Pectens maximus) dredge fishery in summer of 2024. The proposed closures in 7d and 7e are to protect the stock during spawning and limit the impact of fishing activity on juvenile settlement.
The options for proposed 7d king scallop closures are:
- 15 May to 30 September 2024 – a closure period that aligns with the EU closure of 7d to the king scallop dredge fishery.
- 1 July and 30 September 2024 – the same closure period as 2023.
The proposed 7e king scallop dredge fishery closure is:
- A closure of Lyme Bay (ICES rectangles, 30E6, 30E7, 29E6 and 29E7) aligning to the agreed closure length in ICES area 7d.
- No closure of Lyme Bay within any time period.
MMO are also seeking views on the proposal to implement the chosen management option in area 7d for a period of two years.
The closures would apply to EU and UK scallop dredge vessels over 10m in length in 7e and over 12m in 7d.
The UKFAs are committed to ensuring fisheries are managed to a level where stocks are healthy and fished sustainably; the marine environment is protected; and economic return for fishers is maximised without impacting stock sustainability.
The consultation is open from 7 December 2023 to 14 February 2024. To respond to this consultation and access further information, please see here.
What happens next?
MMO will review all the information received during the consultation and will publish a summary of the responses and the decision on whether to close the king scallop fishery, when and which vessels will be affected. Any closure will be enacted by a licence variation.
2023 consultation
Review the consultation and decision documents for the 2023 consultation below.
The consultation document for 2023 can be found here:
Contact information
Fisheries Management Team
Telephone: 0300 123 1032
E-mail: effort@marinemanagement.org.uk
Documents
Last updated 2 April 2024 + show all updates
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Final outcome update.
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First published.