Managing the fishery
The Tasmanian Scallop Fishery is managed under the provisions of the
Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 and
Fisheries (Scallop) Rules 2020. The fishery is managed by individual transferable quotas (ITQ) as well as several input controls.
The Tasmanian Scallop Fishery utilises an area‑based management approach designed to support sustainable harvest while protecting scallop stocks and ensuring ongoing recruitment.
A scallop dredge can't be deployed in waters less than 20 metres deep or in scallop dredge prohibited areas. As such, there is a spatial separation between the recreational scallop fishery (where diving is in shallower waters) and the commercial fishery. All scallop vessels are fitted with
vessel monitoring systems (VMS), which record and transmit the location, speed and heading of a vessel for fisheries compliance purposes.
Area‑based management
Since the early 2000s, scallop fishing in Tasmania has focused on opening specific, surveyed areas rather than allowing widespread fishing. This approach was updated in 2022 with the introduction of six defined scallop management areas, based on scientific research showing that scallop populations can be genetically distinct across relatively small spatial scales.
Fishing activity is restricted to areas that meet strict biological and sustainability criteria, while other areas remain closed to allow stock recovery and spawning.
Opening areas for harvest
A management area may only open to commercial fishing following targeted surveys that assess scallop size, density and biomass. Key criteria include:
- A maximum of 20% of scallops being below the legal minimum size (discard rate).
- Sufficient biomass remaining closed as spawning stock to support future recruitment.
- Closure of any beds that do not meet size or discard thresholds.
This ensures that enough mature scallops remain to reproduce and sustain the fishery into the future.
Protecting spawning stock
Scallops are broadcast spawners and require adequate density to reproduce successfully. The strategy maintains areas as spawning biomass closures, based on defined density targets and thresholds. This improves fertilisation success and supports future stock replenishment.
Minimum size limits
The default minimum legal size is 90 mm shell width, reflecting scallops that have typically spawned at least twice. Alternative size limits may be applied in some regions where growth rates differ, provided there is evidence that scallops have had sufficient spawning opportunity.
The rules allow for possession of scallops smaller than the minimum size by a commercial fisher provided that those scallops don't constitute more than 15% of the scallops catch. This acknowledge that when commercially harvesting scallops with a dredge, several thousand scallops may be hauled up in the dredge and landed at a time, and it is not practical to measure every individual scallop that comes abord the vessel before being retained.
Surveys and adaptive management
Fishery openings are informed by a structured survey program:
- Exploratory surveys identify potential scallop beds using industry knowledge.
- Targeted surveys provide robust scientific estimates of size, density and biomass.
Limited catch may be taken during exploratory surveys under controlled conditions, contributing to data collection while being deducted from area catch limits.
Seasonal arrangements
The timing of each season depends on survey outcomes and consultation with industry. Opening dates vary between years but occur only after scientific assessment and a formal decision‑making process.
Area
The jurisdiction of the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery extends to 200 nautical miles from the Tasmanian coast, with the exception of Bass Strait, where its jurisdiction covers 3-20 nautical miles offshore. The map below depicts the area of the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery and six management areas.
Scallop Management Areas