Scallops belong to the Pectinidae family.  They have fan-shaped bivalve shells with deep ridges that radiate from the hinge.  Colours are variable, including brown, orange, yellow, pink or flesh-coloured or a mix of these.  The upper valve of the shell is flat, and the lower valve is concave.

Scallop Fishery

Scallops are found around the coast in the sandbanks and mudbanks of sheltered bays from the low tide mark out to about 50 metres depth.  They lie on the seabed with the flat shell uppermost, often singly but sometimes grouped in beds.

The main dredging areas are Tasman Bay and Golden Bay, Marlborough Sounds, Coromandel coasts, and Northland coasts.  They are best harvested before they spawn in the spring and early summer.

New Zealand's Scallop fishery is managed by strict quotas, which allow only a set amount of Scallop to be taken commercially each year. This Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) was set at 841 metric tonnes for the 2009/10 fishing year.

Scallop Meat Quality

Scallop flesh is white and the roe is usually bright orange.

For meal ideas using Scallops, check out recipes on the Greatest Meal on Earth website.