Scallop Fishing - Safeguarding seafood by managing our seas

The increasing concerns about 'food security' for the UK, alongside dwindling public investment in fisheries research has led some to question how we can meet future knowledge needs to sustainably manage our seas.
Scientists at Bangor University argue that despite their economic importance to the UK fisheries sector, not enough is known about scallop fisheries in the UK.
Bangor University has hosted a 3 year PhD study of the English Channel scallop fishery to help plug the science gap in a project funded by a consortium of fish processors, fishing companies, the supermarket Morrisons and the charity Fishmonger's Hall.

[@user-cd5xs1xq3j]

Nice What’s the size of boat?;

[@jimmyconnolly188]

If the boats used 21st centuary shellfish sorters , attached to the dredges the damage to the seabed will be verry much reduced as they ride on skids and all stones and by catch small species go through and away only scallops remain in the dredge when hauled you can see them on find a fishingboat

[@riproar11]

Please use periods to end sentences. This doesn't look good.

[@zackjones800]

Any skippers looking for a stern hand would do unpaid trial work to show my ability 150 percent effort given if im given the chance

[@claytonvlogs9411]

Zack Jones maybe I can get you a job

[@zackjones800]

@@claytonvlogs9411 where pal

[@zackjones800]

Near holyhead? What type boat u got

[@claytonvlogs9411]

Zack Jones do you have a skippers ticket

[@ovidiusmaznoi1484]

I'm looking for a boat so I can fish for scallops ... if anyone needs to write to me

[@pomonaprefect9644]

Message me.

[@robbiemify]

Scallop dredging is the most destructive way of fishing, it destroys the seabed, leaving it like a desert. It is akin to harvesting orchards by chopping the trees down. !!!!

[@zerofox7347]

You didn't listen to the video then?

[@pomonaprefect9644]

Hand dived only zones and inshore Marine Protected Zones now please. Why tow dredge fish and cause destruction and disrepute from five or more years unnecessary sea bed disturbance damage? This video does not show the trail of dead, broken urchins snd sponges floating to the surface. The sea grass and other damaged habitats beds. What is the loss? Habitats that sequester carbon are destroyed. Its time the industry got serious. Is it worth it? This one simply won't go away. The studies are being done of the damaged areas by many. Agree the study is a good thing but dredging is going the way of whaling.

[@oogdiver]

Very careful to emphasise the scallop and bycatch issues and minimise the habitat destruction. Any diver can tell you that anywhere the seabed has been dredged for scallops is a literal desert for many years after. Don’t be fooled, don’t buy dredged or trawled scallops. Buy only hand-dived ones and beware those that are labelled “hand-selected”, that’s just a description of undersized, dredged, scallops being chucked back over the side. Bangor U should be ashamed of accepting the scallop dredging industry’s money to fund this biased “research”.

[@petej8556]

"literal desert for many years after"? If you're speaking about the space between your ears I suppose it would be accurate. Scallop habitat is generally in tidal areas where you can't even tell a dredge has been there a week later & you have completely overlooked the fact that the average UK dredge is around 10% efficient, 15 if lucky, that's a lot less than a diver! Yes, hand picked dived ones are all fair & well where there's plenty of stock & not too many divers, but once a-few divers start working an area & the levels of big shell's drop many will target the next size down, that's why diving for shell's is banned in some Scottish places while dredging isn't. Get your facts straight before trying to shame people please.

[@samshaker]

Pete j that’s completely wrong

[@jmca3324]

@@samshaker If Scallop Dredging is so destructive then why is it possible to go back to the same area a week later and still get good fishings ?

[@samshaker]

@@jmca3324 because you will never tow exactly next to your last tow leaving scallops behind when you are coming back to that area a week later your just catching the ones you’ve missed which have spread out, your just thinning the stock to point of decimation the seabed is not but silt and constant churning of the bottom means there’s no chance for the grain sized scallops to come to maturity, because there being buried under the constant clouds of silt. If your Working virgin grounds the seabeds is like waves in a dune with coral and small sea life, to dredge effectively you need flat ground so you’ll have to plow those waves flat so every tow you do your are more efficiently working the ground.

[@jmca3324]

@@samshaker That's a long sentence Sam , try punctuation next time. Firstly. I am a Prawn trawler owner not a Clammer so why are you saying "you" Secondly. Clammers have operated all up and down Scotlands West Coast for over 60 years and are still fishing the same grounds profitably today , when exactly do you believe these grounds will be decimated ? another 60 years , 100 perhaps ? If stocks are still supporting an industry after all this time Sam , and guys are still investing in several £million boats even you must realise your argument doesn't add up. Not every inch of seabed is Scallop grounds so there isn't a limitless bed of clams down there yet year after year the same grounds are producing