Journal of Shellfish Research (2006) Vol 25: 267-268 Proceedings of the 15 th International Pectinid Workshop, Mooloolaba, Australia, April 20-24, 2005 Closed areas and stock enhancement of scallops: what’s the catch? Bryce D. Beukers-Stewart, Belinda J. Vause, Matthew W. J. Mosley and Andrew R. Brand Port Erin Marine Laboratory, University of Liverpool, Port Erin, Isle of Man IM9 6JA, British Isles Introduction The use of closed areas and stock enhancement to manage fisheries is becoming increasingly popular around the world. Scallop fisheries appear to be particularly suited to this type of management, which has produced highly productive and stable fisheries in countries such as Japan, China, New Zealand and the USA. A small area (2 km 2 ) off the SW coast off the Isle of Man, British Isles, has been closed to fishing by towed gear (ie. dredges and trawls) since 1989. During closure the density and biomass of great scallops (Pecten maximus) in the closed area has increased at an accelerating rate such that by 2004 the density, exploitable biomass and reproductive biomass of scallops was 5.5, 8.0 and 9.5 times greater, respectively, than on the adjacent fishing ground. In addition, scallop recruitment and commercial catch rates have also increased during the study period on the several fishing grounds surrounding the closed area. These patterns may be the result of very high levels of scallop reproduction in the closed area and subsequent larval export, and / or they could be explained by spillover (movement) of scallops from the closed to the fished areas. However, fluctuations in scallop populations can also be driven by various other factors such variation in hydrographic conditions or predator abundance. Identifying and quantifying the mechanisms by which closed areas may benefit fisheries is crucial if they are to be adopted as a widespread management tool. This study describes a new project examining the effectiveness of combining closed area management with stock enhancement. The initial phase of this project involved importing juvenile scallops from the Isle of Skye, Scotland for direct seeding on the seabed. A small area of seabed (~ 1 km 2 ), adjacent to the original closed area, was closed to mobile fishing gear for 3 years from June 2003 to protect these scallops while they grew to commercial size. It was envisaged that this reseeding exercise would “kick start” the recovery of the newly closed area. Protecting the scallops during their critical juvenile phase should also improve their survival and growth – enhancing yields when the area is re-opened to fishing. In addition, as the reseeded scallops were likely to be genetically different from the local stock, it was intended to use this feature to track their dispersal and potentially quantify any larval export from the new closed area.