SCALLOP INDUSTRY OF NORTH CAROLINA^ 



By James S. Outsell 

 Associate Aquatic Biolo<jist, U. 8. Bureaxi of Fisheries 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Importance of the scallop fishery 173 



Historical account 173 



Extent and value of the present-day fishery 175 



Natural history of the scallop 176 



Food value 181 



Distribution of scallop grounds 182 



Apparatus and methods for taking scallops 182 



Preparation for market 184 



Marketing ,___'_ 187 



Prices and wages 188 



Legal regulation of th& fishery 190 



Conservation 190 



Summary 196 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SCALLOP FISHERY 



The scallop fishery holds a very important place amonfj the mol- 

 liisk fisheries of North Carolina, for three reasons: (1) The scallop 

 commands a relatively high price and so gives a high return per unit 

 of quantity. (2) Scallop fishing is active when other fisheries in the 

 immediate neighborhood are slack. (3) The fishery generally is 

 confined to one county (Carteret), so that fluctuations are felt keenly 

 by a large portion of the population. 



HISTORICAL ACCOUNT' 



The scallop is one of the most famous of edible bivalve mollusks, 

 a true rival of the oyster in historical interest. In medieval times 

 it became a symbol of holy pilgrimage, was much used in coats of 

 arms, and was even called "pilgrim shell." "The scallop shell his 

 cap did deck," wrote Sir Walter Scott. Another famous Sir 

 Walter — Raleigh — first to attemj)t to establish settlements in North 

 Carolina, referred to the scallop thus : " Give me my scallop shell of 

 quiet, my staff of faith to walk upon." To this day the scallop 

 is known in Germany as " Pilgermuschel," or "pilgrim mussel." 

 Other names of other lands are escallope (French) ; mantel 



1 Appendix V to the Report of the U. S. Conimisslon(>r of Fisheries for 1928. B. F. 

 Doc. No. 1043. 



- For this section the writer is particularly indebted to J. H. Potter and G. L. Arthur, 

 pioneer dealers of Beaufort and Morehead City, and to The Oyster, Scallop, Clam, Mussel, 

 and Abalone Industries, l)y Ernest Ingersoll, Pt. XX, See. V, vol. 2, of llie Flsihery 

 Industries of the United States ; 1887. 



ITS 



