Download FAR 2026/13 Review of reference points (management targets and limits) for scallops

In Aotearoa New Zealand, a reference point is defined as “a benchmark against which the biomass or abundance of the stock or the fishing mortality rate (or exploitation rate) can be measured in order to determine its status”. Reference points are fundamental for assessing stock status and guiding effective fisheries management.

A review of reference points (management targets and limits) for scallop fisheries was undertaken. This review: 1) evaluated reference points previously applied in New Zealand scallop fisheries; 2) examined international practices in scallop fisheries; and 3) outlined essential design considerations for effective reference points.

In New Zealand, yield-per-recruit (YPR) modelling has historically informed target fishing mortality rates for the Northland, Coromandel and Marlborough Sounds scallop fisheries. Recent assessments in Marlborough Sounds have shifted to an empirical approach, establishing substock-wide reference points based on a harvest or exploitation rate (U) target and absolute biomass soft and hard limits.

While some international fisheries have well-established biological reference points, others are still in the process of developing them.

While New Zealand’s approaches are broadly consistent with international practices significant refinement is possible. Developing spatially explicit reference points and integrating changing productivity and habitat considerations into the management framework would help ensure that New Zealand’s scallop fisheries are managed in line with best practice and remain resilient under dynamic ecological conditions.

The review informed a set of recommendations charting a pathway for developing improved reference points for New Zealand scallops and outlined short- and long-term research priorities. Collectively, they address key questions identified during the review: where management should occur, how effective spawning stock biomass (SSB) should be measured, how limits and targets should be set, how to adapt to change, how to monitor, and how to integrate these elements into effective management plans.