190 DESCRIPTION OF IMPORTANT FISHERIES AND THEIR PRODUCTS 



ments. The early colonists to the New England shores were apparently 

 unfamiliar with this bivalve and used it only as a fertilizer. When its 

 food value became known, the scallop industry developed to the point 

 where the bivalve in some areas was in danger of extinction. 



Scallops are found all the way along the Atlantic Coast from Maine 

 to the Gulf of Mexico. The industry, however, is centered in the area 

 from Maine to New York. The greatest scallop beds known are the 

 Georges Banks which lie directly east of Massachusetts. Several species 

 of scallops are present on the Pacific Coast, but the industry has not 

 developed to any great importance. 



The scallop is a bivalve mollusc, as are the oyster and the clam. 

 Unlike the oyster and the clam, the scallop has the ability to move about 

 quite freely or to remain attached in one place. Scallops belong to the 

 family Pectenidae, which includes about 40 species. Only two or three 

 species are of commercial importance on the Atlantic Coast — the shallow 

 water scallop, Pecten gibhus or P. irradians, and the giant deep water 

 scallop, Placopecten megellanicus. The latter species is found in waters up 

 to 150 fathoms in depth. 



Harvesting. To protect the industry from overfishing, a closed season 

 has been estabhshed in some areas through the spawning season, usually 

 from about April to October. Bay or shallow water scallops were formerly 

 taken largely by a device known as a "pusher." This is simply a long 

 handle fitted on the end with an 18 X 36 inch frame having a web bag 

 attached. The operator wades in the shallow water pushing the device 

 ahead of him. As the scallops rise from the bottom they are caught in 

 the bag. Most hand methods have now been replaced by dredges towed 

 by power boats. A single power boat may handle several dredges which 

 are dragged on the bottom and lifted alternately. The contents are 

 dumped onto the culling or sorting board where the marketable scallops 

 are separated from the trash. 



Processing. Scallops are shucked on board the vessel and the large 

 adductor muscle, commonly known as the "eye," is removed. This is 

 the only portion of the scallop marketed for food in this country. The 

 remaining portions are generally discarded. About 15 bushels of sea 

 scallops will produce ten gallons of adductor muscles or meats. The meats 

 are packed in muslin bags holding about 33-2 gallons each, and the bags 

 are packed in containers with crushed ice. Bay scallops are smaller than 

 sea scallops, and the smaller meats are sometimes plumped in water, 

 which increases the volume about 40 per cent. The plumped meats will 

 not stand prolonged shipment and sales outlets are limited to nearby 

 market areas. Scallops for inland markets are frozen commonly in the 

 five and ten pound cartons and the G03 X 812 metal can. For retail 



