Stones have been thrown and boats have been rammed as British and French fishermen fight over scallops in the Channel – but should we even be eating the prized shellfish?
These delicate clams are a common feature on fine-dining menus, but it takes a lot of effort to get them on your plate. Most scallops in the UK are caught using heavy-toothed dredgers: two-tonne steel frames with chainmail collecting bags and teeth that penetrate the seabed, which are dragged behind a trawler. According to the charity Open Seas, scallop dredging is the worst method of fishing for sea life because of the damage it causes the seabed habitat and its species.
But conscientious diners need not despair: there are still guilt-free means of eating scallops. The Marine Conservation Society has not advised people to stop eating scallops altogether, but has encouraged seafoodies to eat the more sustainable kind. “Look for hand-dived options as this is a low-impact fishing method,” says Debbie Crockard, the society’s senior fisheries policy advocate.
King scallops spend most of their lives under the seabed, which is why such monstrous contraptions have to be deployed to catch them. The only alternative to dredging for king scallops is hand-diving, which doesn’t yield enough shellfish to make the practice commercially viable.
Manx queen scallops, however, are a different kettle of fish. The Isle of Man dwellers are just as tasty as the kings and are eco-friendly, too. That is because queenies are active swimmers who leave the seabed in the summer, which makes fishing for them a far less destructive endeavour.
Unfortunately, there remains a demand for the delicacy in the winter, when the queens can only be dredged. According to Crockard, “All scallops need better management and assessments to make sure the fisheries are sustainable.” She adds: “We would like to see better protection of habitats impacted by scallop fishing.” Depending on the habitat, the ecosystem can take up to 10 years to recover from dredging – so it might be better to opt for the soup instead.
