Conservation is vital for trade long term
The environment minister says lowering the queenie catch limit was a compromise between industry demands and declining stocks.
From next week, fishing boats will be able to land 992 tonnes of queen scallops for the year ahead - a reduction of 20% on last season.
Geoffrey Boot says 'nobody knows' exactly why the population has been falling recently, but added over-fishing was an important factor.
He admitted trade may suffer - but underlined the importance of conservation
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