| ≥1 piece |
Detailed introduction to Scallops:
The recovery of the scallop stocks in New England and the Mid-Atlantic is a sight to behold. A few years back the industry was reeling as catches declined. Fortunately, through a combination of closed areas, crew reductions, gear changes and days-at-sea limits, catches have rebounded.
Statistics tell the story. In 2000, the fleets landed 15,000 metric tons of scallops from Georges Bank and the Mid-Atlantic. In 2002, the target total allowable catch was 8,800 metric tons more from the same areas.
What makes the increased harvest even more astounding is that the catch increases are accompanied by drastic reductions in the percentage of scallops being harvested from the ocean. In the early 1990's, harvesters were removing approximately 75% of the scallop bio-mass every year. Today even with the increased harvest they are only taking 9% of the bio-mass from the Georges Banks and 25% from the Mid-Atlantic. Because of this increase in availability we have all been able to enjoy high quality scallops at a great price.