Gulf of Maine, U.S. Mid-Atlantic Sea Scallop Dredge Fishery - MMPA List of Fisheries

U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level of interactions that result in incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Current Classification on the List of Fisheries

Category	III
Estimated Number of Participants	>403
Target Species	Scallop (and at times, monkfish)
Applicable Take Reduction Plans	N/A
Observer Coverage	Observer coverage is mandated by the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Marine Mammal Species/Stocks Killed or Injured	None documented

^ Number of participants estimates are based on state and federal fisheries permit data. The estimated number of participants is expressed in terms of the number of active participants in the fishery, when possible. If this information is not available, the estimated number of vessels or persons licensed for a particular fishery is provided. If no recent information is available on the number of participants, then the number from the most recent LOF is used. NOAA Fisheries acknowledges that, in some cases, these estimations may be inflating actual effort.

*Observer coverage levels include the latest information reported in the most current final Stock Assessment Report (SAR).

¹ Indicates the stock or species is driving the classification of the fishery.

Basis for Current Classification

There have been no documented cases of marine mammal interactions.

Distribution

Year Round with seasonal peaks. Landings are generally higher April through August.

Gear Description

Dredge is generally 10 to 15 feet (three to six meters) wide. A cutting bar at the forward edge of the gear stirs up the substrate and kicks objects up and into the bag. Shoes on the cutting bar are in contact with and ride along the substrate. The bag is made of metal rings with chafing gear on the bottom and twine mesh on the top.

Management

Managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

Historical Information

Original Category (Year added to the LOF)	III (1989)
Original Number of Participants	233
Basis for Original Classification	no details given, because no observer, logbook, or stranding data available
Past Names	N/A
Species/stocks historically documented as killed or injured (but not currently on the list)	N/A

Timeline of Changes

2013	Estimated No. of vessels/persons updated from >230 to >403.
2012	Estimated No. of vessels/persons updated from 258 to >230.
2011	Estimated No. of vessels/persons updated from 233 to 258.