Successful scallop enhancement project in Massachusetts

Tor-Eddie Fossbakk The Marine Department plans to continue what seems to have been a success, adding hatchery grown scallops to the natural population. In early 2007, the department put about 800,000 seed scallops in Second Bend that were bred from the island’s natural brood stock at the Aquaculture Research Corporation. Second Bend was designated as a “seed sanctuary” during the commercial scallop season, and it was off-limits to the fleet. It is still not known whether the hatchery scallops will survive and become viable adult scallops that can be harvested by fishermen. The Marine Department reported fishermen landed 16,800 bushels of scallops this past season, which ended last week. This is the most since the banner season of 2004-2005. The island fish markets paid scallopers between USD 9 and USD 14 per pound of meat throughout the season, with higher prices toward the end. When the last commercial scallop season ended in March 2007, the fleet had gathered only 3,860 bushels, which was the lowest tally since the Marine Department began to keep track of landings in 1976. The slow season came on the heels of a dismal 2005-2006 season, when commercial scallopers landed only 5,500 bushels. This year the Milford Aquaculture Lab in Milford, Conn., had agreed to supply 1.5 to 2 million seed scallops from the island’s native brood stock at no charge. The lab is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).