Biomass reference points for fisheries management can be set using biomass estimates from a time series of scientific surveys.However, these surveys may include areas of marginal habitat and may not reflect the actual range of productivity required to set the maximum biomass levels.Multibeam bathymetry data, backscatter data and associated geophysical interpretations are becoming available for many inshore scallop fishing areas around Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada.These data along with the spatial distribution of fishing effort available from satellite monitoring systems have been used to define scallop habitat in terms of bottom type (Smith et al.2009).In this study we demonstrate how this spatial information can be used to establish the range of productivity as well as define the lower, upper and target reference points required for the implementation of the precautionary approach to fisheries management.