SavingSeaFood - Both NOAA and UMass Scallop Surveys Show Strong Numbers

Both NOAA and UMass Scallop Surveys Show Strong Numbers

In the past 72 hours, two scallop surveys, one from NOAA and one from UMass' SMAST have become available, both showing strong numbers on Georges Bank. Details on the two surveys and press accounts are available on the Saving Seafood website.

SURVEY INFO:

SMAST: Scallop Video Survey Shows Stock Remains Strong
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) has completed their cooperative sea scallop video survey and presented the results to the New England Fisheries Management Council?s Scallops Plan Development Team.

NOAA: Annual Survey Shows High Numbers of Seed Scallops on Georges Bank
A NOAA Fisheries scallop survey off the northeastern coast between North Carolina and Massachusetts shows high numbers of juvenile "recruit" sea scallops and ocean quahogs on Georges Bank tempered with weak numbers for seed scallops in the Mid-Atlantic for 2009. This survey, which included the first successful use of a scallop dredge and high resolution underwater imaging system from the same vessel, also shows the overall biomass for the Mid-Atlantic remains high.

PRESS ACCOUNTS:

Boston Globe: Young scallop numbers are rising
A survey of the sea scallop population off the Eastern seaboard released on Tuesday, August 17 shows an increase in the number of young scallops on Georges Bank, which could be a good sign for several years to come.

Standard-Times: Reports of abundant young scallops bode well for New Bedford fishery
New Bedford's scallop industry received a double-dose of good news, as two scientific studies found strong scallop stocks and high numbers of young shellfish on Georges Bank.

HASTINGS: Time to improve the Endangered Species Act

May 18, 2012 - When the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was signed into law in 1973 by President Nixon, he spoke about the importance of preserving “the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed.” I believe that goal is as important today as it was back then. However, after nearly 40 years, it’s time to take a fresh, honest look at the law and consider whether there are ways it could be improved to do a better job of protecting and recovering species.

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