Table 1. — North Carolina calico scallop production, 

 1959-67. 1 



Data supplied by the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service Statistical Office, Beaufort, N.C. 

 2 Computed as ex-vessel price in the shell. 



no commercial production occurred during 

 1962, 1963, or 1964, production during 1965, 

 1966, and 1967 continued for about 18 months. 

 Weather permitting, day trips are made with 

 shrimp-type scallop vessels to grounds located 

 only 2 to 4 hours from port. The vessels are 

 outfitted with scallop trawls (Rivers, 1962) 

 which can produce catches of up to 60 bushels 

 per 5-minute drag. Despite high maintenance 

 and repair costs, the all-synthetic trawls are 

 very efficient and have replaced metal dredges 

 and other gear in North Carolina. The scallops 

 are piled on deck and catches per boat average 

 400 to 600 bushels (up to 900 bushels) per day. 

 When the boats return by dark, the scallops 

 are shoveled into fish boxes or wire baskets, 

 loaded into covered van trucks, and transported 

 to shucking houses nearby. The following day, 

 hand-shucking is performed by local women; 

 each woman can shuck about a gallon of meats 

 per hour. 3 Meats are returned to the fish houses 

 where they are ice packed in 1- and 4-gallon 

 tins and bulk-shipped as fresh scallops or fur- 

 ther processed and shipped as frozen scallops. 

 Since shucking occurs the day following land- 

 ing, there is no production on Saturday or Sun- 

 day and no processing on Sunday or Monday. 

 When processed for freezing, the fresh meats 

 are washed and individually quick frozen and 

 glazed on a conveyor system with liquid nitro- 

 gen. When frozen, most scallops are packed 

 and sealed in clear plastic 5-pound bags in 50- 



pound cases for restaurants, chain stores, and 

 other processors. When available, the roe is 

 sometimes used. 4 



"The production of calico scallops was an 

 important factor in the economy of the fishing 

 communities of Carteret County during 1967. 

 . . . For Carteret County, calico scallops ranked 

 only after menhaden and shrimp in total ex- 

 vessel value. While only ten vessels engaged in 

 this fishery, there were at various times as 

 many as three hundred shore workers, who 

 received over $199,000 for their labors. . . ." 

 (Davis, 1965). Since 1965 some twenty vessels 

 have engaged in the fishery, although they are 

 also engaged in other fishing operations at vari- 

 ous times during the year. Production rates 

 during 1966 and early 1967 surpassed those 

 of 1965. Table 2 shows production in Carteret 

 County during February and March 1967, with 

 minimum and maximum rates by week. 



Table 2. — February-March 1967 calico scallop pro- 

 duction, Cartaret County, N.C. 1 



1 Data supplied by the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service Statistical Office, Beaufort, N.C. 



From this beginning, new markets are being 

 established and demand for calico scallops is 

 increasing. Quality control is important and 

 nitrogen freezing for processing results in an 

 improved product. Hand-shucking is feasible 

 in North Carolina when large scallops are 

 abundant nearby. Although there is no knowl- 

 edge of the natural history of calico scallops, 

 experience has shown great fluctuation in the 

 abundance of a dominant size group or groups, 

 and a given fishery may depend on a single 

 group or year class. 6 



3 Meat yields average about 1 gallon (8 pounds) per 

 1.75 bushels depending upon the size and condition of 

 the scallops. One bushel in the shell weighs about 70 

 pounds, and meat counts of from 55 to 90 per pint 

 (pound) are acceptable for hand-shucking. 



* The bright orange gonad flesh, in demand for Euro- 

 pean markets, is used with scallop meat in casserole 

 dishes. It makes an attractive pack which accounts for 

 about 35 percent greater yield. 



6 Experience indicates that after scallops reach com- 

 mercial size they die in less than 2 years. That is, they 

 may be expected to remain as a fishable stock about 1 

 year. 



