In October 2024, Fisheries NZ conducted a camera and dredge survey to estimate scallop abundance across key scallop beds in the Coromandel scallop fishery. Fisheries NZ has not released the results from this survey.

What we do know is that scallop populations are highly variable, and recruitment of juvenile scallops doesn’t necessarily happen on a regular basis. Coromandel scallop populations are not likely to have rebuilt to a level that will restore ecosystem function while providing for all harvest and future generations needs.