Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Biomass Surveys 2015-21

At the start of each Bass Strait and Central Zone Scallop Fishery (BSCZSF) fishing season, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) provides a 150 tonne research catch allowance to enable fishers to search for commercially viable scallop (Pecten fumatus) beds. Industry members must then undertake research surveys to determine if the fishery can remain open under higher catch levels. Research surveys record the quantity of the catch of each species, length frequency and other data that is used to calculate biomass estimates and other metrics used by the RAG and MAC to recommend management arrangements for the following season. These reports provide the results of the research surveys undertaken since 2015.