The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), acting on behalf of all four UKFAs, is seeking views on proposals to close UK waters in the ICES area 7d and Lyme Bay in ICES area 7e to the king scallop (Pectens maximus) dredge fishery in summer of 2023. The proposed closures are to protect the stock during spawning in area 7d and limit depletion of the stock in area 7e due to displacement of fishing effort.

The options for proposed 7d king scallop closures are:

• 15 May to 30 September 2023 – a closure period that aligns with the EU closure of 7d to the king scallop dredge fishery.
• 1 July and 30 September 2023 – an extension of the 2022 closure to offer further protection of the species during the spawning period.
• 1 August and 30 September 2023 – the same closure period as 2022.

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.

The closures would apply to EU and UK scallop dredge vessels and will consider whether to exclude 12 m and under vessels from the closure.

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 call for evidence is open from 26 January to 19 March 2023.

What happens next?

MMO will review all the information received during the call for evidence 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.

Resources:

Further information from the MMO can be read here.

The call for evidence document can be found here.