October 13, 2020 — The following was released by the New England Fishery Management Council:
The industry-funded Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program earned its weight in gold this year by providing the sole source of 2020 scallop survey data during the coronavirus pandemic.
NOAA Fisheries typically conducts an annual survey for Atlantic sea scallops on the R/V Hugh R. Sharp, a research vessel owned and operated by the University of Delaware. This year, however, the federal survey was canceled due to COVID-19 precautions. The cancellation of this important federal survey meant that essential information related to the current status of the resource would be missing for 2020.