Seasonal, Spatial, and Postharvest Variability in the Survival of Repeatedly Discarded Saucer Scallops in Shark Bay, Western Australia

Saucer scallops (Amusium balloti) exhibit significantly higher survival rates when discarded during the postspawning winter months (>90%) compared to the prespawning summer months (20–90%), indicating that thermal stress from seasonal temperature differences is a critical factor in their resilience. A study using short-term tag-recapture experiments found no significant differences in survival based on fishing grounds or postcapture treatment, suggesting that current management practices—focusing regulatory discarding during winter when discard mortality is minimized—are more effective than pre-2004 regulations that mandated summer discarding, which likely led to higher mortalities. This research supports the existing strategy of prioritizing fishing during warmer prespawning months to reduce discard-related impacts on scallop populations.

Chandrapavan, A., Kangas, M. I., & Sporer, E. C. (2012). Seasonal, Spatial, and Postharvest Variability in the Survival of Repeatedly Discarded Saucer Scallops in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Journal of Shellfish Research, 31(4), 1161–1171. https://doi.org/10.2983/035.031.0427