Saving Seafood

NEFMC moves forward on scallop framework

October 16, 2025 — The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) is advancing work on Framework Adjustment 40 (FW40), which will guide scallop fishery specifications for the upcoming 2026 season and establish default measures for 2027.

The Council’s Scallop Advisory Panel and Scallop Committee will meet for a webinar on November 19-20 to review specifications and alternatives and select final preferred options. FW40 will set key parameters, including the overfishing limit, acceptable biological catch, and annual catch limits, days-at-sea allocations, and access area trip allocations for both limited access and limited access general category vessels. The framework will also define the total allowable landings for the Northern Gulf of Maine management area and the target total allowable catch for limited access general category incidental catch, along with observer and research set-asides.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Bay scallops in Virginia were extinct. Now, they’re ‘multiplying exponentially.’

Octobr 16, 2025 — An “unprecedented resurgence” in bay scallops in Virginia could soon open the door for recreational fishing of the species, said scientists at William & Mary’s Batten School and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Until the 1930s, Virginia held a significant chunk of the scallop industry — even hosting the largest bay scallop fishery in the country. Then, within three years of the population’s peak in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay waters in 1930, scallops were nearly extinct, according to a VIMS report from 2017. A wasting disease killed eelgrass, the habitat for the scallops, and essentially led to the steep decline. The scallop harvest peaked before wildlife managers noticed any issues with the grass. In response, harvesters turned to clams and the bay scallop population never recovered.

About 10 years ago, though, VIMS researchers began bringing back the shelled creatures, releasing larvae, juvenile and adult scallops into the Chesapeake Bay. Work on restoring underwater grasses in the area had already begun in the early 2000s, and by the time research on scallop restoration started, scientists had restored about 6,000 acres of underwater meadows. According to VIMS, it is the largest and most successful seagrass restoration in the world. It represents “a significant societal and ecological achievement,” said Richard Snyder, director of VIMS’s Eastern Shore Lab.

Read the full article at The Virginian-Pilot

MAINE: Japanese expertise considered key to building Maine’s farmed scallop industry

October 7, 2025 — Following on previous exchanges, a group of eight stakeholders in Maine’s farm-raised scallop industry are planning to visit similar interests in Japan.

“Technology transfer is one of the fastest ways to build, support and ramp up an industry,” said Hugh Cowperthwaite, senior program director of fisheries and aquaculture for Coastal Enterprises Inc. in Brunswick. “By spending time in Japan, our hope is to gain first-hand experience meeting growers, harvesters, processors, retailers, restaurateurs and scientists to learn how sea scallops are grown, harvested, processed, marketed and made into various products to continue our work in Maine diversifying Maine’s coastal economy.”

The group will visit the northern prefectures of Aomori and Hokkaido, both of which have a climate and seasonality like Maine and are rooted in natural resource-based economies.

The trip, made possible by a grant from the Builders Initiative to CEI, is scheduled for Oct. 13-17.

‘Promising results’

The trip was organized by Cowperthwaite; Keiichiro Hamano, CEO of Japan Fishing Machine LLC; and Yoshinobu Kosaka, an expert on the physiology, ecology and aquaculture of scallops who lives in Aomori Prefecture and works as an advisor for many companies. Hamano and Kosaka helped the group establish connections in Japan.

Dana Morse, senior extension program manager for Maine Sea Grant and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, provided additional support, drawing on his role in previous exchanges, which began with his 1999 visit to Aomori to study the scallop industry.

Read the full article at Mainebiz

Maine delegation to visit Japan to study farm-raised sea scallop industry

October 6, 2025 — A delegation of eight professionals from Maine will visit Aomori and Hokkaido, Japan to study the Japanese farm-raised sea scallop industry. From October 13 through 17, 2025 the group will visit the northern prefectures of Aomori and Hokkaido, both of which have a climate and seasonality like Maine and are rooted in natural resource-based economies.

The trip was co-organized by Hugh Cowperthwaite, senior program director of fisheries and aquaculture for Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI); Keiichiro Hamano, CEO of Japan Fishing Machine, LLC; and Dr. Yoshinobu Kosaka, an expert on the physiology, ecology, and aquaculture of scallops. Dana Morse, Senior Extension Program Manager for Maine Sea Grant and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, provided additional support, drawing on his instrumental role in previous exchanges, which began with his 1999 visit to Aomori to study the scallop industry. Cowperthwaite and Morse have been working on collaborative research and technology transfer initiatives together since 2002. Their work began initially with sea scallop spat collection, but their work has expanded to include farmed scallops, kelp and most recently, the two are collaborating on efforts to promote the growth of farmed green sea urchins in Maine.

“Technology transfer is one of the fastest ways to build, support and ramp up an industry,” said Cowperthwaite. “By spending time in Japan, our hope is to gain first-hand experience meeting growers, harvesters, processors, retailers, restaurateurs, and scientists to learn how sea scallops are grown, harvested, processed, marketed and made into various products to continue our work in Maine diversifying Maine’s coastal economy.”

“We have learned so much over the years about scallop farming from our Japanese colleagues, so much that we now have a farmed industry in Maine and are seeing very promising results,” said Morse.

Read the full article at Penobscot Bay Pilot

Record Prices and Tariff Pressures Challenge the US Scallop Complex

September 22, 2025 — The scallop market in the US has faced continued challenges in 2025. Low domestic landings continue providing upward pricing pressure, while potentially constrained availability from Canada adds to tight North American supply. A similar scenario played out in 2024, when many market participants turned to Japanese product as a quality substitute for domestic shortfalls.

Read the full article at Seafoodnews.com

Scallopers press for reopening Northern Edge

September 8, 2025 — The New Bedford scallop fleet and supporters continue to push for a reopening of the Northern Edge scallop access area, a year after the New England Fishery Management Council decided to continue the 30-year closure.

The Northern Edge of Georges Bank is seen by the council as a critical area for juvenile cod, lobster and herring, and the closure has been touted as habitat protection for those species and the scallop biomass.

In April 2025 the Fisheries Survival Fund, representing East Coast scallop fishermen, filed a petition urging U.S Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to reopen the Northern Edge. Their pitch echoed arguments the Fisheries Survival Fund made, unsuccessfully, to the New England council in June 2024.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

MASSACHSUETTS: Introducing the Scallopalooza festival in Massachusetts’ ‘scallop capital of the world’

August 18, 2025 — The following transcript is by WKU:

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

New Bedford, Massachusetts, calls itself the scallop capital of the world, and on Thursday, the city celebrated Scallopalooza. It’s an event close to the city’s working waterfront that celebrates the Atlantic sea scallop and the people who work on the boats. Caroline Losneck has this audio postcard.

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #1: So while we’re setting up for our scallop shucking contest, which is…

CAROLINE LOSNECK: Like most festivals, Scallopalooza’s fun, but scallops are serious business here. They’re central to the city’s identity and culture. The highlight is a raucous shucking contest where over a dozen local scallopers face off in heats, all up on a stage, to see who can remove the meat from the shell the cleanest and fastest. And spectators in the front rows probably even get some scallop parts on them as a memento.

JOE RITTER: We certainly hope people are going to have a shucking good time at this event.

LOSNECK: Joe Ritter works at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center and helped organize Scallopalooza.

RITTER: And the top fisherman from each round is going to go up in the finals, and they’re going to compete for the title of New Bedford’s best shucker. They’re going to get a trophy, and they’re going to get bragging rights, too.

LOSNECK: The impact of the species here is massive. About 80% of the seafood by value that arrives on the docks are from scallops.

RITTER: I would say scallops are to New Bedford like corn and soybeans are to Illinois or Indiana.

MASSACHUSETTS: Local fishermen vie for title of top scallop shucker. A look at contest’s legacy, past winners

August 13, 2025 — Fifteen local scallop fishermen will compete Thursday night, Aug. 14, for the title of New Bedford’s top shucker.

The 2025 Scallopalooza champ will receive a trophy, but being known as the fastest shucker of the resurgent contest this year will start a new tradition of winners to keep track of for posterity.

Only scallop fishermen are participating in the shucking contest — last held in 2017 — and a total of 900 scallops will be shucked when all is said and done.

New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center Executive Director Laura Orleans said it’s the scalloper’s job while out at sea to process the scallops, but they will be on land for this contest in the New Bedford Seaport Historic District.

The shucking contest will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 14 in the Fishing Heritage Center parking lot at 38 Bethel St. during the August AHA! Night, which will take place from 5 to 8 p.m.

Read the full article at The Standard-Times

MASSACHSUETTS: Don’t miss scallop shucking, link squeezing competitions at Scallopalooza. What to know

August 12, 2025 — The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center is bringing back a favored tradition with its revival of a scallop shucking competition.

It will be hosting the inaugural Scallopalooza, a scallop celebration and shucking contest and free public event that will be held during the August AHA! Night from 5 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 14.

Over the years, the scallop shucking contest has been a landmark waterfront event in New Bedford and a showcase of New Bedford’s commercial scallop fishery from the Scallop Festival of the 1950s to the Working Waterfront Festival of the 2000s.

Read the full article at The Standard-Times

NEW JERSEY: New Jersey fishermen net millions of dollars worth of fish, but diners demand more

August 11, 2025 —  Sitting in a Point Pleasant Beach dockside eatery on a summer day, one can take in the sights and sounds of a lively fishing village at work. Sea gulls squawking, commercial boats coming and going, nets drying and lobster pots stacked up on the planked docks.

The aroma of sauteed shrimp and scallops, steam lobster and blue claw crabs water one’s mouth as a waitress or waiter brings you a menu full of seafood delicacies.

But the odds those menu items came from the where the fleet just returned are slim. In fact, this $3.2 billion New Jersey industry supplies just a fraction of the state’s ravenous appetite for seafood, especially when tourism drove more than 123 million to New Jersey last year — 20 million to Monmouth and Ocean counties alone. These visitors spent more than $14 billion on food and drinks, the state’s Division of Travel and Tourism reports.

To make up the difference, restaurants and fish markets must bring in seafood from other states and foreign countries.

Read the full article at Asbury Park Press