2026 Season Landed Scallop Catch
2026 seasonn parameters
Following the completion of scallop surveys and a meeting
of the Scallop Fishery Consultative Group (ScFCG), the General Manager, Marine
Resources (delegate for the Minister), has approved the opening the Central East scallop area of
the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery for commercial harvest as outlined below.
The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) has been set at 2,502.7 tonnes, or 245 kg per scallop unit.
The TAC of 2,502.7 tonnes comprises an initial allowable catch of 500 tonnes for the open Central East scallop area, with a further 2,000 tonnes available for any additional areas that may open during the season following a survey, or if the existing open area performs better than expected and additional scallop spawning biomass closed area is identified through a survey.
It is important to note that there is no expectation that the full TAC will necessarily be harvested, or that areas opened for commercial harvest will provide for the full take of the TAC in 2026.
To fish in the 2026 commercial scallop season, licence holders must apply to activate a fishing licence (scallop) by completing the 'Application for Authorisation to Participate in Scallop Fishery During an Open Season' form. Participating vessels must also have an operating vessel monitoring system (VMS).
Queries can be directed to the Fisheries Compliance and Monitoring section on (03) 6165 3000 or email fisheries.licensing@nre.tas.gov.au.
2026 Scallop Open Areas
North East
State scallop waters north of Eddystone Point and east of East Sandy Point will open to commercial harvest on 25 July 2026, excluding the scallop spawning biomass closed area, waters less than 20 metres and scallop dredge prohibited areas.
There is no area catch limit for the NE open area, take in the area is limited by the established TAC of 2,502.7 tonnes.
This area will open with minimum size limit for commercial scallops of 90 mm.
The maps below depicts the North East open area, including scallop spawning biomass closed area in yellow and scallop dredge prohibited areas in red.
North East scallop open area
Central East
State scallop waters south of Grants Point (St Helens) to Probation Point (western side of Great Oyster Bay) will open to commercial harvest on 20 June 2026, excluding the scallop spawning biomass closed area, waters less than 20m and scallop dredge prohibited areas.
The total amount of scallops that can be taken from the Central East area has been increased from 500 tonnes
to 700 tonnes.
This area will open with minimum size limit for commercial scallops of 90 mm.
The maps below depicts the Central East open area, including scallop spawning biomass closed area in yellow and scallop dredge prohibited areas in red.
Central East scallop open area.
Eleven-armed sea star
There have been reports of high abundances of eleven-armed sea stars in areas of the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery. The eleven-armed sea star is a native species that naturally fluctuates in abundance; its presence is not directly taken into account when making decisions about scallop open areas.
The primary considerations for opening areas are that they meet the discard rate requirement, that is no more than 20% of scallops in an area are below the minimum legal size limit of 90 mm, and that an appropriate level of spawning biomass is protected through area closures to maximise opportunities for future recruitment into the fishery.
The high abundance of sea stars, and the threat they may pose to the scallop population, is not sufficient justification to open all areas to commercial scallop harvesting and to abandon established sustainability measures. Rather, it highlights the need for a more precautionary approach to ensure the ongoing sustainability of the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery.
2026 scallop survey result
Surveys results indicated generally low scallop densities across all areas surveyed. East Flinders recorded a high discard rate of approximately 55% at the 90 mm size limit. Bay of Fires showed variability in discard rates across surveyed subareas. Exploratory surveys of the broader Central East area recorded the highest densities and lowest discard rates among all surveyed regions, and presented the best opportunity for an open area. A summary of survey results are presented in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Targeted scallop survey results (* indicates an exploratory survey)
| Survey Area | Scallop Area | Ind/m2 | Density (kg/1000m2) | | Average Scallop size (mm) | Discard 90mm % | Adj. Biomass (t) |
| | | | Legal | Total | | | |
| Ringarooma | Area 2 | 0.11 | 6.4 | | 96.7 | 13.5 | 675.6 |
| East Flinders | Area 3 | 0.98 | 6.29 | 16.43 | 87.03 | 55.9 | 3,323.7 |
| Bay of Fires | Area 4 | 0.013 | 1.06
| 1.3 | 96.97 | 19.7 | 703.1 |
| Central East* | Area 4 | 0.25 | 21.4 | 21.8 | 105.1 | 1.2 | NA
|
Eddystone Pt & Banks Strait*
| Area 3
| 0.17 | 13.4
| 14.4
| 100
| 4.1
| NA
|
| | | |
| | |
|
Area 3 East Flinders and Banks Strait exploratory survey results. Left standardised length frequency distribution for dredge survey tows. Right legal-sized (≥ 90 mm) scallop density per survey tow (kg per 1000 m2).
Area 2 West Flinders- Ringarooma targeted dredge scallop survey results. Left standardised length frequency distribution. Right legal-sized (≥ 90 mm) scallop density per survey tow (kg per 1000 m2).
Area 3 Eas Flinders and Banks Strait targeted dredge scallop survey results. Left standardised length frequency distribution survey dredge tows. Right legal-sized (≥ 90 mm) scallop density per survey tow (kg per 1000 m2
Area 4 Central East Bay of Fires targeted dredge scallop survey results. Left standardised length frequency distribution for dredge survey tows. Right legal-sized (≥ 90 mm) scallop density per survey tow (kg per 1000 m2)
Area 4 Central East exploratory dredge scallop survey results. Left standardised length frequency distribution for dredge survey tows. Right legal-sized (≥ 90 mm) scallop density per survey tow (kg per 1000 m2).
Scallop management areas
One or more of the six scallop management areas below may be considered for opening following a targeted survey provided the areas meet the discard rate criteria met, whereby no more than 20% of scallops are below the minimum legal size limit, and an appropriate spawning biomass closed area has been identified and closed to commercial fishing.
Scallop Management Areas