Saving Seafood

Comparing the effectiveness of common Atlantic sea scallop farming methods

August 6, 2025 — Much of the scallop farming techniques used in the U.S. derive from practices in Japan, where scallops have long been a part of the country’s seafood industry. Researchers from the University of Maine are working to test and adapt those practices to help grow the industry in the Gulf of Maine, where oyster farming is currently the most well-known form of aquaculture in Maine’s blue economy.

Building off a four-year study published in the spring, which compared the effectiveness of two different Atlantic sea scallop farming techniques, UMaine researchers further analyzed the economic advantages and disadvantages of the same two methods of scallop aquaculture. Lead researcher Damian Brady, professor of marine sciences at UMaine, and co-author Chris Noren, a postdoctoral researcher, used their results to develop a user-friendly application that helps interested parties compare the different costs and possibilities associated with building their own scallop farms.

“Now new farmers can make educated decisions on what option is going to be most viable for them, taking into account their location, timeframe, budget and all the other pieces that go into scallop farming,” Brady said. “Ultimately, our goal is to help Maine grow this industry to its fullest potential and preserve Maine’s working waterfronts—an integral part of the state’s culture and history.”

Published in the journal Aquaculture, the study looked at two of the most common options for scallop farming: lantern net and ear-hanging. Previously, lantern net methods were thought to be more cost-effective, but this study shows the ways in which the ear-hanging method can be more cost-efficient over a longer period of time.

Read the full article at PHYS.org

MASSACHUSETTS: Scallopers push to open northern edge of Georges Bank

July 31, 2025 — Coastal lawmakers and scallopers railed Wednesday against a decision fishing regulators made last year to keep closed the northern edge of Georges Bank, a thriving scallop ground that has been shuttered to commercial fishing since 1994.

“It’s singularly my most frustrating experience, as someone who thinks of the environment every day, but also worries about the economy minute to minute in my own district. It’s stunning to me how long — decades — this has been closed,” said Sen. Mark Montigny of New Bedford.

Montigny chaired a Senate Committee on Post Audit and Oversight hearing on Wednesday which explored the state of commercial sea scallop fisheries and regulations impacting the industry.

New Bedford is the largest port in the United States for sea scallop landings and revenue. Other ports in Massachusetts are important for smaller scallop vessels, including Gloucester, Provincetown, Barnstable and Chatham.

Last year, the New England Fishery Management Council voted against reopening the fishing grounds on the northern edge of George’s Bank, a shallow underwater plateau between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia that is rich in biodiversity and a known spawning ground for Atlantic cod and habitat for scallops. The Light reported that Mayor Jon Mitchell was among those asking the council to reconsider opening it, citing headwinds for the region’s top fishery, including falling prices and fewer days at sea for fishermen.

The council voted not to continue discussions on reopening the area, as they said the high density of scallops there helps spawn other nearby scalloping grounds.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

MAINE: Maine OKs plans for state’s largest scallop farm

July 24, 2025 — A Maine company growing scallops in Penobscot Bay that wanted to expand its operations  nearly tenfold got a slightly reduced version of those plans approved by the state on Tuesday, more than three years after starting the process.

Vertical Bay is one of a handful of small Maine aquaculture companies growing scallops, a multi-year process using long vertical lines underneath the water. Its owner-operators, Belfast couple Andrew and Samantha Peters, applied for a 20-year, state-issued lease to increase their operation in the waters west of Hog Island from about four acres to roughly 41.

Scaling up would provide a model for other people interested in growing scallops in Maine and demonstrate how it can be profitable, Andrew Peters previously told the Bangor Daily News.

Peters didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

Industry Petition to Reopen Northern Edge Scallop Access Named as Top-Tier Deregulation Priority

May 14, 2025 — The following was released by the Fisheries Survival Fund:

A petition submitted by the Fisheries Survival Fund (FSF) to restore scallop fishing access to the Northern Edge of Georges Bank has been formally recognized by the federal government as a national deregulatory priority. In comments submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy included the FSF petition among just 21 proposals selected from more than 75,000 nationwide for special consideration. It was the only fisheries-related regulation identified and one of just two pertaining to the Department of Commerce.

This federal-level recognition may provide critical momentum for the New England Fishery Management Council to reopen consideration of access to the Northern Edge, a historically significant area with continued importance to the nation’s scallop fleet.

FSF advanced its April 28 petition through two regulatory channels.

First, it was submitted directly to the Secretary of Commerce under standard federal rulemaking procedures, requesting that the New England Fishery Management Council be directed to revisit current restrictions in the Closed Area II Habitat Management Area—commonly known as the Northern Edge. This followed the same legal pathway FSF used in 1998 to launch a successful effort expanding scallop access elsewhere on Georges Bank.

Second, FSF responded to OMB’s government-wide Request for Information (RFI) on deregulation, issued April 11, 2025[1]. This RFI was initiated in direct response to Executive Order 14219, signed by President Donald J. Trump on February 19, 2025, which mandated a comprehensive government-wide review of existing regulations to identify those that are unlawful, exceed statutory authority, or impose unnecessary burdens. The RFI invited the public to propose specific regulations for repeal or reform as part of this broader deregulatory effort.

FSF acknowledges that this opportunity was made possible by Executive Order 14219 and expresses its appreciation to President Trump for his leadership in creating a structured and responsive mechanism for regulatory reform.

By authorizing agencies to seek public input and reconsider outdated rules, the administration made it possible for affected industries such as scallop fishing to engage meaningfully in the federal decision-making process.

In its formal filing, the SBA’s Office of Advocacy highlighted the current regulation[2], which bars scallop fishing in the Northern Edge area. Advocacy noted that it had been contacted by a coalition of 156 small businesses in the scallop industry, which cited the adverse economic impacts of the closure. While the closure was originally intended to protect groundfish populations, Advocacy called on the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to reexamine whether those conservation goals can be met without unnecessarily restricting scallop access.

SBA’s recommendation is notable because nearly all of the other deregulatory proposals included in its comments were national in scope. Northern Edge access was the only fisheries regulation named, and one of just two regulations from the entire Department of Commerce to receive this distinction. This singling out by the SBA is expected to further distinguish the FSF petition among the tens of thousands filed during the OMB’s open comment period.

The Office of Advocacy is uniquely empowered under the Regulatory Flexibility Act to represent small business concerns in the federal rulemaking process. Its endorsement of the FSF petition underscores both the economic significance of scallop access and the need for a more tailored, evidence-based approach to habitat protections that balances environmental objectives with sustainable harvesting.

MAINE: Maine scallop season closes while waiting for Trump administration to approve new quota

April 16, 2025 — U.S. regulators were forced to close the Northern Gulf of Maine scallop fishery less than two weeks into the season as fishers wait for the Trump administration to approve new quotas.

The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) approved new scallop quotas for the 2025/2026 seasons under Amendment 39 in December 2024, establishing a quota for the Northern Gulf of Maine federal fishery of 675,563 pounds for 2025 and a quota of 506,672 pounds for 2026. However, those quotas have not yet received final approval from the federal government.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: Scallop fishermen face tough choices after the federal fishery is paused

April 15, 2025 — Maine fishermen who participate in the federal Northern Gulf of Maine scallop fishery are stuck in regulatory limbo after the federal agency charged with implementing annual catch limits shut down the fishery temporarily last week.

Policy changes under the Trump administration sidelined the quota system last week.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had set “default” quotas while a final funding decision was pending, but that 350,000-pound limit has been reached. Normally quotas run closer to 675,000 pounds, or 200 pounds per day, per fisherman.

The closure on Friday occurred just 11 days into the season.

While the early shut down is unprecedented, it should be temporary, according to Togue Brawn, who operates Bremen-based Downeast Dayboat Scallops and is a member of the New England Fishery Management Council, which recommends scallop quotas to the NOAA.

Read the full article at Mainebiz

Scallop study sheds light on gear choice for Maine growers

April 15, 2025 — A recent study from the University of Maine’s Aquaculture Research Institute and Darling Marine Center is offering Maine scallop farmers practical insights into gear selection and its impact on growth and profitability.

The research published in Aquaculture and reported by the Penobscot Bay Pilot compared two common farming methods- lantern nets and ear-hanging- across a full grow-out cycle in Penobscot Bay and Frenchman Bay.

According to Science Daily, suspended culture is the most common approach, with farmers typically using multi-tiered lantern nets to grow scallops to a harvestable size. UMaine shares that ear-hanging, a technique adapted from Japanese scallop farming, offers a potential alternative. This method involves drilling a small hole in the scallop’s shell and suspending it on a line, allowing for better water flow and potentially reducing maintenance needs.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

NOAA closes Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area midseason

April 11, 2025 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shut down the Gulf of Maine’s scallop fishery Friday.

“As of April 11, 2025, no scallop vessel fishing under federal scallop regulations may fish for, possess, or land scallops in or from the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area,” NOAA’s announcement reads. “The scallop regulations require that we close this area once we project that 100% of the 2025 Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside will be taken.”

Members of Maine’s fishing industry have been anticipating the closure, saying regulators delayed finalizing this year’s catch limits amid their transition to the Trump Administration.

“It hasn’t been as easy to get information this year from NOAA fisheries,” said Togue Brawn, a Member of the New England Fishery Management Council and the founder of Downeast Dayboat and Dayboat Blue. “As we know, things are changing with the government, people are getting fired, people are afraid to talk. It’s a little dystopian, and frankly unsettling, and it does a disservice to the fishermen and the employees that are there trying to manage the fishery.”

The fishery shuts down every year once projections show the allowed set-aside for the year will be met, but this closure marks the first time NOAA has closed the fishery in the middle of the season — which some believe poses uncertainty for fishermen who traveled to the southern reaches of the Gulf of Maine fishing area off of Massachusetts.

Read the full article at Spectrum News