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Scallop

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Scallop by Sarah McCartney

Description

Scallops have two large shells joined at the bottom by a hinge and inside they have a juicy white muscle which attaches to both shells. Scallop meat is prized for its delicate taste and texture. 

Sustainability Overview

The best choice are diver collected scallops which are collected with minimal damage to the seabed, however the quantity landed is very small the majority of scallops sold have been collected using scallop dredges.
 
Scallop populations in Cornish waters are poorly studied but are unlikely to be endangered due to the rapid growth of this species. The impact of scallop dredging on the environment is the main concern with this fishery as the heavy toothed dredges used dig into the sea bed and disturb and damage habitats and species.  Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority have placed many restrictions on scallopers in Cornish waters making our waters among the best managed for scalloping in the UK. There is still room for improvement and with increased fisheries led management of productive scallop grounds the future of this fishery could be far more sustainable.  It is encouraging that the industry is working on a Fisheries Improvement Plan which sets an ambitious target to improve the sustainability of this important fishery.  The latest large scale study by Cefas on scallop populations in our area show that stocks are likely to be just below maximum sustainable yeild in some areas and near MSY in other areas, meaning it is hard to say it is a sustainable fishery. More research is still needed. 
 
According to MMO data a total of 490 tonnes of scallops were landed in 2022 with a value of £1.16 million. 
 
Updated January 2024
 

Sustainability ratings for this species

Diver Collected

7e.I (Inshore Cornwall: 0-6 nm)

Diving using scuba apparatus is a low impact method of collection of shellfish.

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Scallop Dredging

7e.I (Inshore Cornwall: beyond 6nm)

Scallop dredges are heavy duty metal framed, toothed nets that are pulled over the seabed to target scallops which live buried in the sand or mud seabed. Scallop dredging in Cornwall is highly regulated.

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Scallop Dredging

7f.I (Trevose bank: beyond 6nm)

Scallop dredges are heavy duty metal framed, toothed nets that are pulled over the seabed to target scallops which live buried in the sand or mud seabed. Scallop dredging in Cornwall is highly regulated.

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Scallop Dredging

off South Coast, 7e.I (Inshore Cornwall: beyond 6nm)

Scallop dredges are heavy duty metal framed, toothed nets that are pulled over the seabed to target scallops which live buried in the sand or mud seabed. Scallop dredging in Cornwall is highly regulated.

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How we rate fish

Cornwall Good Seafood Guide rates fish on sustainability using a scale of 1 to 5.

1, 2 and 3 are recommended, Fish to avoid are rated 5.

We use the system devised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) so our scores are comparable with the scores produced by MCS for the UK and fisheries from all around the world. For more information on scoring click here.

Biology

Scallops are bivalve molluscs. They live buried in the surface layer of soft seabeds; sand mud and gravel and maerl. They filter feed on plankton and detritus. Scallops are able to move by rapidly closing their shell which forces jets of water out of the back of the shell and propels them along. 
When a scallop is resting on the seabed and feeding its shell opens by up to 2 centimetres and the mantle with thousands of tentacles is visible. A ring of eyes all around the shell further improve the sensory ability of scallops to detect predators. 
Scallops are hermaphrodites (i.e. both male and female) and become fully mature at about 3 years old (80 to 90mm in length). Spawning occurs in the warmer months, from April to September, and a three year old scallop can produce between 15 and 21 million eggs each year! (Marlin)The species can grow to more than 20cm in length and live for more than 20 years, although average sizes are in the range of 10-16cm. 
Due to rapid growth and high reproductive rate scallops have a low vulnerability to fishing pressure 26% (Cheung et al 2005, source www.sealifebase.org)
 
 
 

Stock Info

Stocks of scallops in UK have been understudied but stock landings have remained relatively constant for many years. A recent large scale government funded stock assessement carried out by CEFAS carried out since  2017  showed that scallop stocks in our area are likely to be close to sustainable levels but it is a very complex situation and more research is needed. This is the first time a project of this scale has been carried out and it is hoped that if it is continued it will show an improving situation regarding stocks of scallops. The work has identified 5 important scalloping areas in the Western Channel and one smaller area off the north Cornish coast in area VIIf (Trevose Bank).  The latest CEFAS report (published 2023) showed that of Cornwalls south coast (area 7e) stocks in the inshore area are being fished below MSY but there is a downward trend of biomass (ie scallop population) which is of concern. The Offshore areas  of 7e had a more healthy stock with fishing pressure below MSY but increasing. The scallop fishery area off the north Cornish Coast in area 7f had low biomass but low fishing pressure however there is concern in this area with international exploitation of the scallop beds.

Seafish Risk Assesement for scoring seafood has analysed scallop fisheries in the South west and estimate that there is a moderate risk for this stock. The Seafish responsible sourcing guide states that Periodic intensive fishing by large (>15m) ‘nomadic’ boats from England and Scotland in recent years has threatened the viability of small-scale inshore fleets that rely on local beds. Number of boats fishing for scallops in area VII increased by 26% between 2002 and 2014.(MMO)

Landings of scallops in Cornwall have dropped significantly from a previous rate of  1-2000 tonnes per year to less than 500 tonnes for 2020 and 2021, for the first time in nearly 30 years.

 

Management

This is a regulated fishery but there is currently no quota providing a cap on quantities of scallops caught. There are indirect limits through gear and effort restrictions and a minimum landing size of 100mm shell width. 
A 7pm-7am curfew applies preventing scallop dredging at night within Cornwall and Devon IFCA's. 
The UK fleet size is capped through restrictive licensing and local Inshore Fishery Conservation Authority (IFCA) permit. Within Cornish waters CIFCA have placed a restriction on the number of dredges used per boat inside 6 mile limit of 12 per vessel and restrictions on mesh size on dredges and length of dredge bar.
The Western Waters effort regime places an upper ceiling on the number of kilowatt days (KWdays) fished by vessels larger than15m in length, towing dredges for scallops. Within the UK this pool of effort is administered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) in a system which sets a maximum number of days (per quarter) that any vessel with a scallop entitlement may fish, these limits being revised on a quarterly basis. In recent years this effort cap has been limiting.
There are 40 vessels fishing in Devon and Cornish waters that have Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) fitted voluntarily either to engage in the Lyme Bay pilot project or by those vessels that fish nomadically in Welsh waters where its use is compulsory. VMS provides fisheries management agencies with accurate information about the location and activity of regulated fishing vessels and is a cost effective  tool for the successful monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities. The length and power of vessels scalloping within Cornish IFCA waters is restricted to 18.28 m (60ft) and 221 kw (300hp). There are currently no industry led seasonal closures or restricted areas for scallopers in Cornish waters but these have proven to be effective in other parts of the UK for management of scallop stocks and habitats.   A Voluntary Scalloping Good practice guide has been developed by the Scallop association and many local boats adhere to this.
Diving for scallops commercially can only be undertaken from a licenced fishing vessel and divers must adhere to minimum landing sizes, fill in a shellfish data return for CIFCA and must adhere to HSE regulations governing safety. 
 
A Fisheries Improvement plan for scallop dredge fisheries in the English Channel was launched in 2017 and is now in its sixth year. The aim of the FIP was to improve the sustainability of the fishery and to adress key issues which are preventing the fishery from being certified by the Mairne Stewardship Council. Progress has been made but to date no improvement to management has been achieved and as a result this process has failed to lead to improved management scores for scallops in our area. 

Capture Info

The majority of scallops (98%) are caught using scallop dredges. A very small quantity are collected by divers. Scallop dredges are steel framed nets that are pulled along the seabed. Spring loaded teeth act like a rake cutting into the seabed and flipping scallops up and into a net. The teeth can hinge backwards to prevent the dredge snagging on the seabed if it hits rock or wreckage. Use of these ‘Newhaven dredges’ have a well-documented impact on the seabed (Sewell and Hiscock) particularly the first time an area is fished but in some areas which have already been dredged the additional impact can be argued as far less. Rocky grounds and reefs are avoided.

Scallops are also collected by divers in shallow waters (less than 30m). Diving for scallops is very selective and has no impact on the wider environment.(Sewell and Hiscock) 

 

References

Assessment of king scallop stock status for selected waters around the English Coast 2021/22
Project UK round One Channel Scallop FIP report year 6 2023
ICES. 2019. Scallop Assessment Working Group (WGSCALLOP)
Scallop survey trial Portloe Cornwall IFCA 2019
Scallop stock assesement English Channel 2017 CEFAS
Fisheries Improvement plans through Project UK 
CEFAS Red bag scheme final report July 2014
Ecological Risk Assessment of the effects of fishing for South West fisheries; ICES Divisions VII e,f,g &h Seafish 2014
MMO Landings data
Proposed closure for 7.d and Lyme Bay area of 7.e. consultation 2024
 
UK scallop fishery good practice guide – Shellfish association and Seafish industry authority  http://www.seafish.org/media/Publications/UK_Scallop_Industry_Good_Practice_Guide_for_consult.pdf
 
Cheung, W.W.L., T.J. Pitcher and D. Pauly 2005 A fuzzy logic expert system to estimate intrinsic extinction vulnerabilities of marine fishes to fishing. Biol. Conserv. 124:97-111 source www.Sealifebase.org
SEAFISH Responsible Sourcing Guide: Scallops. Version 3 – January 2013

Recipes for Scallop

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