USA: Scallop aquaculture is slowly but steadily growing
Frozen Scallop
United States
Published Dec 23, 2021
Tridge summary
Today, there are 32 active leases that are approved for scallops in the state (with three more pending approval), up from 17 leases five years ago. Though few of those leases are in commercial production, there is a growing interest. A factor behind the scallop sector’s measured growth may be its relative newness in the state and farmers are still trying to find their footing.
Original content
Dana Morse, extension associate with Maine Sea Grant, says there are a handful of farmers doing interesting work with scallop farming and trying new approaches. One farmer has placed his cages in extremely deep water to reduce biofouling – a technique Morse says is established elsewhere but is still in experimental stage in Maine. “In Japan, and in other places where this industry is much more established, understanding the depth of the long line and the depth of the water and how that relates to things like biofouling is much more established,” says Morse. Morse hesitates to call that technique a potential game-changer for the sector, but it could be an important consideration for someone thinking about entering the industry. “Labour is definitely a strong economic component of overall cost,” says Morse. “And of labour, dealing with biofouling is certainly a big component.” Other scallop farmers are exploring the economic viability of selling only the scallop’s adductor muscle ...
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