Evaluation annuelle du stock de coquilles Saint-Jacques de la baie de Seine : résultats de la campagne COMOR 42 (3 au 20 juillet 2012).

The main aim of King scallops Pecten maximus stock assessment French surveys in the Bay of Seine (COMOR) is to set an annual primary diagnosis of the state of the resource (abundance by age classes, growth, distribution on the seabed) before the opening of the fishing season. For twenty years, the survey takes place in July, best compromise between enough growing of the group 1 shells, faster in the Bay of Seine than in the Saint-Brieuc Bay, allowing their capture by sampling dredges, and early expertise which allows to stakeholders (administrative, market organization, professional committee, ...) to take the best measures suited to the reality perceived through the survey’s results. The results are presented in distinguishing the off-shore part of the Bay of Seine, located beyond the French territorial waters, and the classified Seine Bay, entirely located inside the territorial waters and subjected to highly regulation of fisheries. In July 2012, the estimation of exploitable biomass is very high this year, and reach a historically record level. It is mainly composed of the 2 years old King scallops cohort, which arrive this year as recruitment in the fishery. These scallops’ size is under the medium decade size. The exploitable biomass is quite well distributed in both parts of the bay of Seine. The pre-recruitment (one year old scallops) is at a medium level.