Document Type

Article

Department/Program

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Publication Date

1989

Journal

Journal of Shellfish Research

Volume

8

Issue

1

First Page

139

Last Page

149

Abstract

Fishery regulations are based on discipline specific concepts, empirical analyses, and public comment. Supporting empirical analyses, however, often neglect commercial fishing practices. If supporting analyses do not adequately consider commercial practices, resultant regulations may fail to achieve stated objectives and impose unnecessary costs on industry. This may have been the case for the United States Atlantic sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, fishery in which empirical analyses determined a target specification of 30 meats per pound, as a maximum average value, would provide significant long-term benefits in terms of yield per recruit and the overall productivity of the resource. Targeted meat count pertained to carefully resected scallops. Industry practices, however, yield different weights and meat counts. These differences suggest that realization of the 30 MPP target count does not require commercially landed scallops to yield, on average, 30 MPP. This paper discusses the relationship between the science, commercial practices, and the determination and enforcement of fishery regulations.

Keywords

commercial practices, Placopecten magellanicus, fishery regulation

Download

Share Feedback

Share

COinS