Saucer scallop management changes

New saucer scallop fishery management arrangements and reporting requirements take effect at midday 1 March 2026.

New management arrangements

General requirements

Fishers must:

  • monitor the regional total allowable commercial catch (TACC) limits
  • only take saucer scallops in one region during a fishing operation
  • not remove saucer scallop meat from the shell at sea
  • return to a relevant port area or a landing place to unload saucer scallops within 36 hours of the regional TACC being reached or 18 hours after the close of the season at midday on 1 May.

Central region

Saucer scallops in this region will be managed under a:

  • TACC limit of 167,776kg whole-shell weight
    and
  • possession limit of 3,500kg whole-shell weight (equivalent to approximately 100 baskets).

Southern offshore region

Saucer scallops in this region will be managed under a TACC limit of 248,609kg whole-shell weight.

Southern inshore region

Saucer scallops will remain no take in this region.

The 2025 fishery-independent scallop survey revealed that the biomass was still low (below the 20% limit reference point for the fishery).

Quota reporting process

From midday 1 March 2026, fishers will need to report saucer scallop catches in the central and southern offshore regions against the relevant TACC:

  • Before landing, the commercial fisher in control must give a prior notice reporting the number of baskets of whole-shell and/or half-shell saucer scallops, by using the Qld eFisher app or calling 13 25 23.
  • Once all saucer scallops are fully unloaded and before returning to sea, the commercial fisher in control must give a weight notice (kilograms of whole-shell and/or half-shell scallops) by using the Qld eFisher app or calling 13 25 23.

If reporting via phone, you must:

Not taking scallops

If you don’t take saucer scallops during a fishing operation, you can continue to operate with no changes. However, you still need to report discarded saucer scallops and mud scallops via the paper logbook or the Qld eFisher app.

Qld eFisher app

The Qld eFisher app will update on 1 March 2026 to support saucer scallop quota reporting, including prior and weight notices and quota balances.

If you use the app, you do not need to fill out paper logbooks and make multiple phone calls. The app:

  • automatically adds up the number of baskets of saucer scallop across your fishing operation, which can help you stay within possession limits in central region.
  • prefills your prior notice for you.

Departures before 1 March 2026

  • Saucer scallop quota reporting will not be available in the Qld eFisher app before 1 March.
  • If your fishing operation starts before then, you can still use the app for logbook reporting but must complete quota reporting by calling 13 25 23 for your first trip of the season.
  • You will be able to use the app for all your reporting on subsequent fishing trips.

More information