October 5th, 2007 10:03am
It's that time of year again. Time to strap on the rubber boots, gather your SCUBA gear, and get whatever else you need to catch those scallops. It's family scallop season as of October 3 on Nantucket.
These delectable shellfish are unlike your basic clams and oysters because the best part, unlike its' counterparts, is the muscle that opens and closes the shells.
Nantucket has one of the last remaining wild Bay Scallop fisheries left in New England, and, like so many others, it's future is in danger. The local scallop population has been depleting for many years, and with scallops going for more than $15 per pound, these sea creatures are sought after commercially by the local scallopers for several months out of the year.
We went under the sea to get up close and personal with the fascinating Bay Scallop here in Nantucket's waters. For years, Nantucket's locals have prided themselves in being able to sustain a part of their economy with fishing locally. The debate over Bay Scallops has been going on for quite some time as well.
On the scallop exists a raised ring denoting a season of growth. This growth ring also signifies that the scallop has been around long enough to reproduce, thus making it a contributing part of the population. When scallops are harvested without having reproduced, the consequences are lowered populations. If enough of these "nub" scallops are harvested, the population is endangered and eventually wiped out.
So do your part and make sure there's an obvious growth ring on scallops before taking them, and happy harvesting!
For more on the Nantucket Bay Scallop, take a look at our ongoing coverage of the shellfishing industry in Nantucket.
