Isle of Man Scallops
A different approach to fisheries management
The Isle of Man fishery for the great scallop, Pecten maximus began in 1937 after the collapse of the traditional fishery for herring, or Manx kippers. Early catches of scallops were very high and much of the catch consisted of large old scallops. At its peak in the early to mid 1980s the fishery supported over 80 vessels and landed over 2,000 tonnes of scallops on the island – but the good times couldn’t last. By the end of the decade catch rates were at an all time low and the few scallops remaining were barely above the legal size. But fisheries managers heeded the need for action - among a suite of measures to reduce fishing pressure, a new approach was trialled – closing areas of seabed to fishing altogether.
MCS supports the increased use of marine protected areas to improve the management of UK seas. The Isle of Man experience has shown that this tool can not only improve the sustainability of fisheries, but also help protect and restore delicate marine ecosystems – a win-win scenario.
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The secret behind using this approach to revive scallop populations is revealed by knowing a bit about scallop reproduction. Scallops breed by releasing eggs and sperm directly into the water. If there is too much fishing the scallops become so spread out that the eggs and sperm literally don’t find each other – and no breeding takes place. However, if you protect some areas from fishing, scallop numbers and sizes build up, high levels of breeding takes place, and large numbers of young scallops are spread out by water currents to surrounding areas.
The first area closed to scallop dredging in the Isle of Man was created in 1989. Scientists from Port Erin Marine Laboratory have monitored it ever since. Scallop numbers have steadily increased with protection – there are now over 10 times as many scallops in the closed area compared to nearby fishing grounds – and breeding is estimated to be 50 times higher! In 2003, another nearby area was closed to fishing and given a kick-start by being re-seeded with 50,000 young scallops.
Both of these closed areas enjoy widespread support from the local fishing industry – and no wonder – catch rates in the surrounding areas have increased by up to 100 % - the best anyone has seen for 20 years. Not only have the scallop populations recovered, whole marine communities in the protected areas have come back to life, with increased biodiversity and the re-appearance of beautiful but fragile marine animals such has hydroids, sponges and fan-worms.
