From Discards to Resource: Bait Skate Utilization in the LAGC Sea Scallop Fishery

Limited Access General Category (LAGC) sea scallop fishing vessels are currently prohibited from landing any regulated species other than scallops and monkfish. As a result, these vessels must throw back, or discard, all other species they may catch, even if those species could have market value if landed. If regulations allowed for the landing of these additional species, it could enable scallop fishing vessels to increase their profits.

For underutilized species, permitting the landing of incidental catches instead of requiring their discarding would maximize the use of quotas that often go unharvested each year. One such underutilized species is the bait skate fishery, which involves landing whole skates that measure less than 23 inches for use as bait. In recent years, less than 70% of the bait skate fishery quota has been utilized, resulting in 3-8 million pounds of quota remaining unharvested annually.

The CFRF has received an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) to allow LAGC sea scallop vessels to land bait skate during their normal fishing practices. This project aims to assess the feasibility of using these vessels to land bait skate. It will quantify how bait skate is utilized by full-time, year-round LAGC vessels compared to part-time, seasonal LAGC fishing vessels. Additionally, it will explore whether part-time vessels can utilize their own landed bait skate in other fisheries, such as lobster or crab fisheries, in which they also participate.

Project Team

Collaborators:

  • F/V Brooke C, Point Judith, RI

  • F/V Harvest Moon, Point Judith, RI

  • F/V Mister G, Point Judith, RI

  • F/V Resilient, Point Judith, RI

CFRF:



Project Objectives

  1. Evaluate the feasibility of Limited Access General Category (LAGC) sea scallop vessels landing bait skate

  2. Identify practical pathways for the utilization of bait skate landed by LAGC sea scallop vessels.

  3. Quantify bait skate bycatch within the LAGC sea scallop fishery

This project is supported by:

This is an industry funded research project in which funds are generated by the participating vessels landing and selling bait skate. A portion of those generated funds are given back to the CFRF to fund the research project.