January 22, 2026 — Scallops are an important contributor to the success of the New Bedford fishing Industry. Without scallops, the industry as we know it would cease to exist.
“The impact of the species in New Bedford is massive,” NPR reported. “About 80 percent of the seafood, by value, that arrives on the docks here comes from scallops, according to a 2020 report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries.”
NPR reported about two-thirds of the 500 or so fishing vessels that fish out of New Bedford “are going out for scallops.”