Pasco County 10-Day Scallop Harvest Starts Friday

PASCO COUNTY, FL – Scallop lovers are in luck. Gov. Rick Scott announced that, for the first time since 1994, state waters off Pasco County will be open to bay scallop harvesting during a 10-day season from July 20-29.

The region includes all state waters south of the Hernando–Pasco county line and north of the Anclote Key Lighthouse in northern Pinellas County, and includes all waters of the Anclote River.

“I’m proud to announce that for the first time in more than 20 years, families in Pasco County will be able to enjoy a scallop season," said Scott. "Scalloping is one of the best ways to experience the Sunshine State’s incredible natural areas and I encourage residents and visitors to take advantage of this exciting opportunity.”

“Scalloping with your friends and family is classic Florida fun in the sun," said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission chairman Bo Rivard. "The season brings people and an economic boost to these coastal areas, all the while encouraging conservation and connecting residents and visitors to the wonders of Florida’s outdoors.”

Bag Limits And Other Regulations

• Bag and vessel limits in open bay scallop harvest zones are two gallons whole bay scallops in shell or one pint of bay scallop meat per person, with a maximum of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or half gallon of bay scallop meat per vessel.
• Scallops may be collected by hand or with a landing or dip net.
• Scallops must be landed within areas that are open to harvest and may not be possessed on waters outside of areas that are open to harvest or during the closed season. Scallops may not be possessed on waters south of the Anclote Key Lighthouse.

Equipment Needed

Sea Grant Florida said scalloping doesn't require a lot of equipment.

• Swim mask
• Snorkel
• Small mesh bag
• Divers-down flag (required by law)
  • Displayed on vessel, must be at least 20 inches by 24 inches with a stiffener to keep the flag unfurled. Should only be displayed while snorkelers are in the water; display above the vessel’s highest point.
  • Tethered to diver, must be at least 12 inches by 12 inches; mandatory when using a mask and snorkel from the beach unless it is a marked swimming area.
  • You must make reasonable efforts to stay within 300 feet of a divers-down flag on open waters and within 100 feet of a flag within rivers, inlets, or navigation channels.
• Boat -- usually required to get to the best scalloping areas. In shallow water, it is possible to wade for scallops in the sea grass or to collect them from a shallow-draft boat using a dip net or landing net, but these methods are not very productive. Most scallopers go by boat into water 4 to 10 feet deep where they anchor, put up their dive flag and snorkel over the beds, collecting the scallops by hand.

Collecting And Handling Scallops

A scallop opens after it has been placed on ice.

Scallops may be spotted on or near the bottom of seagrass beds, usually lying on their ventral shells, according to Sea Grant Florida. Often, they are easiest to find in borderline areas where the sand/mud bottom meets the edge of the grasses.

Scallops have many neon-blue eyes and may try to swim away when they see you, but they do not swim fast or far.

Keep collected scallops in a mesh bag, rather than in a pocket or in your swimsuit. They can pinch.

When brought to the boat, scallops should be immediately placed on ice in a cooler for the trip to shore unless you decide to clean the scallops while on the water. Scallops are quite sensitive to temperature and will quickly die if they are not kept cold. Even if kept cold, scallops will usually die shortly after being placed on ice, especially if fresh water gets into their shells.

The best way to store your scallops is to position them in a cooler above the accumulating melt water from any ice. A moist towel can be placed between the ice and scallops to temper the thermal shock that will immediately kill the scallops and/or absorb any weepage from the scallops.

The intent is not to keep the scallops alive, but the duration of live storage can reduce bacterial growth. Placing scallops on ice makes them easier to open because the muscle holding the shells together relaxes.
A scallop, clam or oyster knife, or even a teaspoon, can be used to open the shells and cut the white muscle free, discarding the shells and unwanted soft parts.

Although most Floridians only eat the scallop muscle, in many other parts of the world the entire animal is eaten, much like clams and oysters. If this is done, scallops should be cooked because many open harvest areas for scallops are not classified for harvest of other shellfish species.

Though not required, collecting scallops that are at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches in size is seen as a best scalloping practice because the scallops have likely spawned at least once and are large enough to produce enough meat to make cleaning worthwhile.

Cleaning Your Shells

• Be courteous of other scallopers and move your boat away from the scalloping areas first, then anchor. It’s no fun scalloping where others are cleaning their catch.
• When finished cleaning on shore, dump the shells and guts in any deep water away from shore so no one steps on them. Be sure the deep water is NOT a channel. Shells could begin to fill the channel and have negative impacts on surrounding waters.
• Want to keep shells to use for crafts or garden cover? Try placing the shells in a net bag and putting them back into the water. Small fish and crabs will be happy to clean the shells.

Legal Requirements

In general, recreational scallopers between the ages of 16 and 65 must have a current Florida saltwater fishing license to collect scallops. There are some exceptions, listed in the FWC “Florida Saltwater Recreational Fishing Regulations,” which is available in bait shops, FWC offices or at the FWC website.

All non-residents over the age of 16 are required to buy a license unless they are fishing (scalloping) from a for-hire vessel (guide, charter, party boat) that has a valid vessel license.

Florida residents need a regular saltwater fishing license, unless exempt (scallopers under 16 years of age, residents 65 years of age or older with proof of residency and age or scallopers on a boat with a valid recreational saltwater fishing license).

For information on bay scallop regulations, visit the FWC website.

Video via Sea Grant Florida

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