Sea scallops carry a high value per piece and as such are an attractive candidate for aquaculture. Scallop farmers must however contend with attributes of the species that present distinct challenges to acceptable growth, survival, harvest and marketing. High sensitivity to stocking density, short shelf life, very limited tolerance to heat/cold/dessication/low salinity, long larval duration, and limited catch-muscle capabilities all mean that there are novel ways to kill scallops that don’t apply to other, more robust species such as oysters, hard clams and blue mussels.
Maine fishermen and producers have been experimenting with seed collection, stock enhancement and intensive aquaculture for over 20 years, and it’s taken all of that to make the observations and trials necessary to raise scallops confidently. Most equipment and techniques have been adopted from Japan and Canada and modified to meet the requirements of the species and production along Maine’s coast.
In this presentation, we will review the equipment, siting, husbandry, and biotoxin issues association with raising sea scallops.