SCALLOP RESOURCE OF THE UNITED STATES 

 PASSAMAQUODDY AREA 



by 



Robert L. Dow and Frederick T. Baird, Jr. 



Maine Department of Sea and Shore Fisheries 

 Augusta, Maine 



ABSTRACT 



A survey of the scallop fishery in the Passamaquoddy Bay area 

 of Maine was made as part of a larger investigation into the past, 

 present, and future status of fish and shellfish species that might be 

 affected by the construction of a proposed tidal power plant in that 

 region. The past record of commercial production, and the present 

 abundance level and environmental conditions are described, together 

 with deductions as to the effects on the scallop fishery of predicted 

 oceanographic changes. 



INTRODUCTION 



In 1956, Canada and the United States 

 requested the International Joint Com- 

 mission to ascertain the feasibility, 

 desirability, and cost of constructing 

 a hydroelectric power plant in Passa- 

 maquoddy and Cobscook Bays. Turbines 

 would be turned by the flow of sea 

 water through two natural basins im- 

 pounded by dams. 



The responsibility for studying the 

 probable effects of construction, main- 

 tenance, and operation of the proposed 

 structure on the fisheries of the area 

 was given to the International Passa- 

 maquoddy Fisheries Board. Accord- 

 ingly, Canadian and United States 

 scientists studied the oceanographic, 

 biologic, and economic characteristics 

 of the "Quoddy Region" (fig. 1). Geo- 

 graphically this northeastern segment 

 of the Atlantic coast includes the Pas- 

 samaquoddy area of southern New 

 Brunswick and eastern Maine. It is 

 divided into the St. Croix River estuary 



or "high pool", which forms the inter- 

 national boundary with Canada, and 

 adjacent Cobscook Bay or "low pool", 

 enclosed by land projections. 



A contract between the United States 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and 

 the Maine Department of Sea and Shore 

 Fisheries assigned to the State agency 

 the task of investigating species of 

 fish and shellfish, exclusive of herring, 

 in the Quoddy Region. 



The sea scallop (Placopecten magellani' 

 ct/sj supports the second largest mollusk 

 fishery of the Passannaquoddy area, 

 and the third most important fishery 

 in terms of landed value. Only the sea 

 herring and soft-shell clam fisheries 

 are more valuable. The Quoddy Region 

 is almost completely dependent, eco- 

 nomically, upon marine resources. 

 Over the period 1948-57, the Quoddy 

 Region accounted for 43.3 percent of 

 Washington County's scallop catch and 

 approximately 4 percent of the total 

 Maine landings (table 1). 



