Managing the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Using Spatially Aggregated Catch and Effort Data

The Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan instituted rotational management in 2004 to help optimize yield.  However, a portion of the resource is still managed as an open area through days-at-sea.  As the distribution of the resource changes there is an increased reliance on spatial information.  Annual surveys provide fishery independent data on resource distribution and yield potential, while Vessel Trip Reports and Vessel Monitoring Systems are fishery dependent sources of information that can highlight differential effort inside and outside of access areas.  Using these data, we demonstrate their usefulness on past management actions and discuss their potential to aid in more spatially refined decision making.