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Scallop

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General

Shellfish

Shellfish is a culinary term that is often used for several species of molluscs, gastropods, bivalves and arthropods. Some examples are the St. James shell, mussels, razor clams, oysters, cockles and whelks. Most shellfish live partly or fully buried into the seabed, mostly in sandy or gravelly bottoms. They feed by filtering nutrients out of the water. Seed and eggs are released into the water and fertilized externally. Most shellfish are hermaphroditic, they can be both male and female. There are many different shellfish species in the North Sea that are very much suitable for consumption. Fishing methods on shellfish include hand-picking, dredging or mechanic dredges (suckers).

 

Scallop

The most well-known species of scallop is the great scallop (Pecten maximus), also known as the king scallop or the St. James shell. This is the largest European scallop and can reach maximum lengths of 17 centimetres. The scallops’ shell is either white, brown, or pink and can be found from Norway down to Portugal. Most scallops, which are sold in shops, are sold without the shell. These are often different species, such as the Atlantic deep-sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus), the Patagonian scallop (Zygochlamis patagonia) , or the Yesso scallop (Patinopecten vessoenis).   

 

Scallop

Pectinidae
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, north-west (FAO 21)
Deelgebieden: US (east)

Farming- / Catch method

Dredges

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Scallop

Pectinidae
Origin

Pacific Ocean, north-west (FAO 61)
Deelgebieden: China

Farming- / Catch method

Dredges

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Explanation assessment

There is a MSC-certifiedMSC Certified:
Fisheries that comply with the Marine Stewardship Council assessment criteria and are certified. Fish products with the blue MSC label are caught by sustainable fisheries.
fishery on the giant Ezo scallop in Japan and since 2015 also in China. The shells are caught with [bottom otter trawls] or collected by divers (in China). Part of the brood is collected by hanging nets or ropes in the water where the larvae can attach themselves to.

 

Scallop

Pectinidae
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, south-west (FAO 41)

Farming- / Catch method

Bottom otter trawl

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Explanation assessment

There is a MSC-certifiedMSC Certified:
Fisheries that comply with the Marine Stewardship Council assessment criteria and are certified. Fish products with the blue MSC label are caught by sustainable fisheries.
fishery on the Patagonian scallop in Argentina. The scallops are caught with [ bottom otter trawls].

 

Scallop

Pectinidae
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, north-east (FAO 27)
Deelgebieden: Norwegian Sea

Farming- / Catch method

Diving, Handpicked

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Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

Scallops are exclusively hand-picked in Norway. Although biological and population data lacks, it is assumed on the basis of other sources that the stock is stable and the fishery on scallops is sustainable.

The diving and hand-picking of scallops is a very selective way of fishing that doesn’t damage the environment. It is also good for the quality of the scallops.

The management in this area is largely effective.

Scallop

Pectinidae
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, north-east (FAO 27)
Deelgebieden: Atlantic Ocean, north-east

Farming- / Catch method

Diving, Handpicked

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Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

The stock of scallops strongly varies in season and area. The prediction for the recruitement is hard and stock fluctuations are unpredictable. In general, there is no clear and accurate picture of the fishery in this area.

The diving and hand-picking of scallops is a very selective way of fishing that doesn’t damage the seabed. It is also good for the quality of the scallops.

There is no specific [management plan] and there are no quotas determined. The management is done at a national level. There are however plans for an EU-wide management for these kind of coastal-water fisheries.

 

Scallop

Pectinidae
Origin

Atlantic Ocean, north-east (FAO 27)
Deelgebieden: North Sea, north

Farming- / Catch method

Dredges

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Fish stocks and fishing pressure
Ecosystem effects
Fishery management
Final assessment
Explanation assessment

The scallop is reasonably vulnerable to [fishing pressure]. The [stocks] of scallop in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France have been overfishedOverfished:
A stock is overfished when the stock size has decreased so far that it can no longer produce a maximum sustainable yield. The size of the fish populations is insufficient to reproduce in the long term. 
in the past decades. Because the fishing pressure has been reduced and the species is now also farmed, the stock could increase, but there is not enough data on this.

Fishing with dredgesBoat dredges:
A fishing method used for collecting shellfish and crustaceans from the bottom. The ship drags a steel frame with a net over the bottom, in which shellfish and crustaceans are caught. Large ships can drag multiple dredges simultaneously, on each side of the ship.  
can have bycatchBycatch:
Species caught next to species targeted for fishery. By-catches can consist of non-commercial species and species that are too small, and can be kept (this part is sometimes called by-product) or thrown back into the sea (discards). 
of endangered ray and shark species. Moreover, there is a lot of bycatchBycatch:
Species caught next to species targeted for fishery. By-catches can consist of non-commercial species and species that are too small, and can be kept (this part is sometimes called by-product) or thrown back into the sea (discards). 
of invertebrates. There are indications that dredges permamently damage the ecosystem of the seabed.

There is a managementplan for the fishery with dredges on scallops that limits the amount of dredges per ship and the amount of days at sea. This is reasonably effective.

ASC label

Fish with the ASC label is farmed in a sustainable manner.

MSC label

Fish with the MSC label is caught sustainably.

Good fish

This fish is not being overfished or is being responsibly farmed, with minimal impact on the environment.

Second choice

This fish is a second choice. There are still some improvements to be made in this fishery or fish farm.

Avoid

Do not buy this fish. It's being overfished or the way it's farmed or caught has a negative impact on the environment.

Welfare

There is fish available of this species that is farmed or caught using high welfare standards.

GlobalG.A.P.

GlobalG.A.P. certified farms are doing a step in the right direction in terms of sustainability. A few species with this label are getting a better score on the VISwijzer.

Organic

Organic standards are the strictest when it comes to fish feed. They also require certain measures for animal well-being.