Benefits of closed area protection for a population of scallops
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Published source details
Beukers-Stewart B., Vause B., Mosley M., Rossetti H. & Brand A. (2005) Benefits of closed area protection for a population of scallops. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 298, 189-204.
Published source details Beukers-Stewart B., Vause B., Mosley M., Rossetti H. & Brand A. (2005) Benefits of closed area protection for a population of scallops. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 298, 189-204.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Cease or prohibit all towed (mobile) fishing gear Action Link |
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Cease or prohibit all towed (mobile) fishing gear
A site comparison study from 1989–2003 in two sites of soft seabed off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man, Irish Sea (Beukers-Stewart et al. 2005) found that an area closed to towed fishing gear for 14 years had more and larger great scallops Pecten maximus compared to an adjacent fished area. Fourteen years after closure, abundance of scallops was higher in the closed area (14/100 m2) compared to the fished area (3/100 m2). In addition, the proportions of older and larger scallops were higher in the closed area (41% over 5-year old; 52% over 130 mm in length) compared to the fished area (5% over 5-year old; 12% over 130 mm). A 2 km2 exclusion zone was closed to towed fishing gear in 1989 following a bylaw (static gears allowed). Abundance, size, and age of scallops inside and outside the exclusion zone were obtained from a combination of dive surveys and annual dredge surveys carried out during multiple studies between 1989 and 2003 (see paper for details). In the fished area, all surveys were carried out during the closed scallop season June–October). Only data for 2002–2003 were statistically tested.
(Summarised by: Anaëlle Lemasson)
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