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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil Advance Access originally published online on December 7, 2006
ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil 2007 64(2):298-308; doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsl028
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© 2006 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Collapse of the fishery for Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica) in Breidafjordur, West Iceland

Jónas P. Jonasson1,, Gudrun Thorarinsdottir2, Hrafnkell Eiriksson2, Jon Solmundsson2 and Gudrun Marteinsdottir1

1 University of Iceland, Askja, Sturlugata 7, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
2 Marine Research Institute, PO Box 1390 Skulagata 4, 121 Reykjavík, Iceland

Correspondence to J. P. Jonasson: tel: +354 525 5229; fax: +354 575 2001; e-mail: jonasp{at}hafro.is

Jonasson, J. P., Thorarinsdottir, G., Eiriksson, H., Solmundsson, J., and Marteinsdottir, G. 2007. Collapse of the fishery for Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica) in Breidafjordur, West Iceland. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 298–308.

The stock index of the Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica) in Breidafjordur on the west coast of Iceland has declined drastically in recent years. Total fishing mortality was very high throughout the study period from 1993 to 2003, a period characterized by a steady increase in summer sea surface temperature, in 2003 reaching the highest estimated level of the previous century. Between 1998 and 2005, estimates of chlorophyll a (food availability) fluctuated with periods of low chlorophyll followed by a reduction in muscle weight and high natural mortality. High levels of natural mortality were observed in the main fishing area in the southern part of Breidafjordur. There the stock index had been declining since 1994. Recruitment to the fishable stock was highly variable during the study period, with low recruitment towards the end of the 1990s. Subsequently the fishery has been on relatively few year classes, and the stock has been fragile because of several years of poor recruitment and high natural mortality. Consequently, the stock appeared unable to withstand the fishing pressure and declined to historically low levels, leading to a halt to fishing in 2004.

Keywords: Chlamys islandica, fishery collapse, Iceland scallop, mortality, recruitment, temperature

Received 20 April 2006; accepted 6 November 2006; advance access publication 7 December 2006.


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