For the sea scallop, the problem of indirect fishing mortality has long been known to be a critical conservation issue
(Caddy 1973). Caddy (1973) found indirect mortality rates on par with direct fishing mortality (13–17%), and a recent
assessment of sea scallops (National Marine Fisheries Service 1999) estimated indirect mortality to be three times
higher than the direct fishing mortality on Georges Bank. Evidence from other scallop species suggests that indirect
fishing mortality may be as high as four to eight times the direct fishing mortality (Naidu 1988; McLoughlin et al. 1993).