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ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil Advance Access published online on July 3, 2007
ICES Journal of Marine Science: Journal du Conseil, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsm089
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© 2007 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Oxford Journals. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Fluctuations and forecasts in the fishery for queen scallops (Aequipecten opercularis) around the Isle of Man

B. J. Vause1, B. D. Beukers-Stewart1,2, and A. R. Brand1

1 Port Erin Marine Laboratory, University of Liverpool, Port Erin, Isle of Man IM9 6JA, British Isles
2 Marine Conservation Society, Unit 3, Wolf Business Park, Alton Road, Ross-on-Wye HR9 5NB, UK

Correspondence to B. D. Beukers-Stewart: tel: +44 1989 561584; fax: +44 1989 566815; e-mail: bryce{at}mcsuk.org

Vause, B. J., Beukers-Stewart, B. D., and Brand, A. R. 2007. Fluctuations and forecasts in the fishery for queen scallops (Aequipecten opercularis) around the Isle of Man. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64.

The annual success of the queen scallop fishery around the Isle of Man in the northern Irish Sea is dependent on the strength of recruitment. We examined data from surveys and commercial logbooks on the annual density of spat, juvenile, and adult queen scallops in the fishery between 1982 and 2002. These were used to examine past population and fishery trends and the potential for formulating a predictive model for the fishery. The results were highly variable on both temporal and spatial scales, but there were some general trends. Density appeared to have been relatively stable during the 1980s, declined sharply from the early to mid-1990s, then recovered to produce relatively good catch rates thereafter. There was no relationship between spat settlement and the subsequent density of juveniles or adults in stock surveys or with commercial catch rates. However, within the stock surveys, there were three different significant relationships between cohort densities over time. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between the density of 1-year-olds caught on the surveys and commercial catch rates the following year. Monitoring juvenile queen scallop density would therefore allow prediction of recruitment and fisheries variations at least 1 year in advance, allowing perhaps for more effective management, including reducing the fluctuations in the fishery and helping to ensure long-term sustainability.

Keywords: Aequipecten opercularis, catch predictions, fisheries management, recruitment variation, stock assessment

Received 25 July 2005; accepted 6 May 2007.


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