Last year’s bay scallop season ended with mixed results, but fishermen had a reason to be hopeful. In the water there was a large amount of immature scallops that were too young to be harvested.
In a recent study, Vineyard bay scallops proved resilient to a parasite that decimated scallops off New York. Researchers say that gives hope for the future of the species.
Island fishermen harvested around 2,500 fewer bushels this year, though local scallopers and fishmongers say it wasn’t all bad news for the fishery, as a lower harvest on- and off-Island prevented the precipitous drop in scallop prices that occurred last year.
As the harvesting season for bay scallops gets underway, Island fishermen and shellfish wholesalers are readying themselves for their annual gamble in a fishery with a reputation for uncertainty.
A bay scallop farming study is one of several projects in Dukes County funded by new state grants, aimed at bolstering the local shellfish industry in a time of climate change.
Commercial bay scalloping and oyster seasons will be extended in Edgartown following a vote by the town select board Monday. Both will run until May 1.
In late winter, as the cold winds blow, the Edgartown Harbor is a quiet place, mostly populated by gulls, the Chappy ferry making its appointed rounds, and the occasional scalloper or oysterman.
