Isle of Man queen scallop fishery

Queen Scallop Update Report 2017 Season

Isle of Man queen scallop fishery 2017

The fishery for queen scallops within the Isle of Man territorial sea commenced on 3 July 2017 with a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 992 tonnes. The fishery will be managed against this TAC to ensure that it is not exceeded. Uptake against the TAC can be monitored using the chart below which will be updated on a weekly basis. Notifications regarding uptake will not be sent and interested parties are advised to check this page periodically.

Note that QR Code No.2 on your Isle of Man fishing licence has been set to take you to this page automatically. Use a code reader on your smartphone or other mobile device to take advantage of this facility.

Recording your catch

It is a condition of your fishing licence that the master of the vessel shall, in addition to any logbook or electronic logbook, complete a Daily Queen Scallop Catch Return and a Manx Fish Producers By-Catch Form for all queen scallop fishing activity within the territorial sea. The Daily Queen Scallop Catch Return must be completed and placed into the designated logsheet collection boxes situated on the quayside of the harbours at Douglas, Ramsey, Peel and Port St. Mary on the day that the landing takes place. Copies of the Daily Queen Scallop Catch Return and Manx Fish Producers By-Catch Form and full details of the Isle of Man Fishing Licence may be found at www.gov.im/fishing/conditions.

IMPORTANT! MFPO by-catch forms.

The requirement to fill in by-catch forms for the queen scallop net fishery is now a licence condition. The reasons for this is that there is a need to collect accurate by- catch data for the whole fleet and the whole season as by-catch composition varies according to boat size, engine size, net width, state of tide, weather conditions, time of year and fishing ground. View an example of the by-catch form.

This data will then be used to apply exemptions, if appropriate, from the discard ban (which is due to be fully implemented by January 2019).

Alternatively, the data will be used to request quota uplifts from DEFRA to deal with the difficulties of the discard ban process should this be the most appropriate method. At present we have up to seven potential chock species, that is, a species for which there is insufficient quota and which if caught in sufficient numbers could close the fishery prematurely.

For further information, please contact +44 1624 685857.

Isle of Man Queen Scallop Licences 

Sustainable fisheries management is the long term goal of both the Isle of Man Government and the Isle of Man Scallop Management Board (SMB). In November 2014, after a challenging season, the then Isle of Man Queen Scallop Management Board (QMB) met to review the fishery and discuss future management options. The QMB recommended that further measures were necessary and specifically that the Department should investigate options to cap effort. Following a public consultation which demonstrated overwhelming industry support for a cap on effort, a series of recommendations were made by the board and accepted by the Department. 

A copy of the consultation summary is available. 

In March 2015, Isle of Man Queen Scallop Licences were issued to those vessels that were licensed to fish for queen scallops when the consultation was published (December 2014) and which could demonstrate a track record of having fished for 20 or more days for queen scallops, within the territorial sea, over a reference period spanning the queen scallop seasons of 2010-2012.

It was recognised that there would be a number of genuine ‘pipeline’ cases as a result of these new measures and the Department considered these on a case by case basis. Unsuccessful applicants were able to appeal the decision, with appeals being considered by the QMB and applicants notified of the final decision by the Department.

No additional licences will be issued until such time as the stock has recovered to a level considered, by the Department, to be capable of sustaining additional effort. 

Vessel / licence owners are strongly advised to contact the Department at the earliest opportunity should they anticipate changes to their circumstances which may affect the Isle of Man Queen Scallop Licence or their ability to prosecute the fishery.

A copy of the Department’s policy on the Isle of Man Queen Scallop Licence (IOMQSCL) can be found in the downloadable documents section above.

For further information, please contact the Fisheries Directorate on +44 1624 685857 or email fisheries@gov.im