If you are interested, type 'Scallop" into the search area on stuff.co.nz and read the last 12 months or so of articles about the management of the TACC etc.

I bet the industry won't be interested in conducting any research on the long term effects of bottom trawling, but given that it might be a significant risk to our long term fisheries and may even be a major contributor to their current depleted state, you might think that MPI should be looking into it at least. Anyone know if they have done any research about this?

CLOSED!:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/aquaculture/82017915/banned-no-scalloping-for-marlborough-sounds-parts-of-tasman-bay

So the commercial scallop industry take excess scallops from the biomass each year until the fishery is screwed and then it gets closed to them and the recreational harvesters. Then when it reopens (if not completely wrecked) we will repeat the cycle. Over the long term the commercial sector take each year will average out (excess for years up to collapse, then lower TACC after a rebuild), but the recreational harvest is just slashed by the closures and there is no long term averaging. So not only all those scallops get given to the fishing industry for free in the first place (zero return to the public), but now the public get their traditional right to harvest a feed taken away as well so that the industry can get a faster rebuild of the biomass and start filling their pockets again. What a great system we have.

Closed 3 days before opening day.

I think it's good for the scallop fishery but the timing could have been better.

I've got flights to picton Friday morning and back Sunday. Leave booked. Oh well. Fishing it is.

My understanding of the fishery down there was they were shown how to seed the beds by the chinesse a few years back, but unfortunately they overseeded them causing them to stunt growth etc... 

Bossco wrote: Don't see why they need a blanket ban as opposed to just a ban on dredging.  Why penalise divers for the damage that the recreational and commercial dredgers are doing?

Southern_Jez wrote: Bossco wrote: Don't see why they need a blanket ban as opposed to just a ban on dredging.  Why penalise divers for the damage that the recreational and commercial dredgers are doing? My understanding is that it hasnt been closed due to damage caused by dredging, but just overfishing. The 50 scallop rec limit is far to high in my opinion, but I'm coming from a fishery where you are only allowed 10 of the tasty little buggers.  For what it's worth, we dive for our shellfish, tried dredging once, lost it, just stuck with diving ever since.

Just overfishing. Mind boggles. They didnt see it coming did they.
Why not.???
So instead. Oh well fishery is stuffed,better close it--ho hum.Great but predictable fishery management response.
Pity scallops arnt more aggressive -like sharks. Maybe they will learn and the news headlines will feature more scallop attacks.
Self preservation of scallops.
Proper management would have seen the decline and taken action to stem it long before it got to this.
And even if other factors like parasites or disease were at play same should have applied

Seem they didnt notice either. Not much point protecting them if they are not there anymore.

You make a very valid point Cam.

They dredge the crap out of them ,close the beds ,then smash them up for a bit of add on effect. Bit like carpet bombing.

Totally irresponsible action. Could only happen in N.Z.