NOAA Announces Proceeds from 1.2 Million Pound Scallop Catch Will Fund 13 Cooperative Research Projects

May 7, 2012 

This year, NOAA authorizes the owners of federally-permitted sea scallop vessels to catch an estimated 1.2 million pounds of scallops worth an estimated $12 million. New England fishermen will use a portion of their annual scallop catch to fund 13 cooperative research projects and scallopers will receive a portion of the proceeds to compensate them for the research. Cooperative research allows fishermen and scientists to work together, share expertise, and improve our knowledge and understanding of the scallop fishery. Projects will examine ways to better understand and reduce unintended catch of yellowtail flounder, skates, and sea turtles in the commercial scallop fishery, improve vessel fuel efficiency, and minimize effects on habitat.  Read more…

Meet Scallop Fisherman, Bob Keese

Scalloping is a big and growing business in the United States. It's also a sustainable fishery. Here we feature Bob Keese—a scallop fisherman out of Chatham, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Keese says scalloping is better than it ever has been; there’s a bigger demand and the price is higher. Bob and his crew work for a small, clean fishery. They typically shuck about 600 pounds of scallops a day and sell what’s been freshly landed. Click on the video below to hear Bob’s story, how he makes his living harvesting scallops, and why he loves fishing in Cape Cod.