Scallop season 2022: Are we doing enough?

Is 2022 the year we decide to pass on scallop season? Given the state of the stocks, perhaps it should be.

September 6, 2022

Perhaps it time to give scallops a break

In years past September heralded the start of scallop season.

For many of us that meant dragging dive gear out of the cupboard for a service and its first outing of the new dive year.
In some areas, scallop season was a good excuse for a celebration of festival, with tourists flocking to beach resorts around the country for an early taste of sunshine, salt air and a sizzling barbeque scallop.

However, in 2022 the delicacy of our diving past is in such sad state that harvest restrictions will make it virtually impossible for most recreational divers to access scallops.

Even if you do have an open accessible area nearby, there's a strong argument to let those bivalves lie in peace. With time to restore the beds perhaps in the future scallops can return to the table in moderation. But with so many environmental challenges that goal seems a long way off.

Petition to ban dredging in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park

In the Hauraki Gulf, two beds remain open. In reality these locations are only accessible by commercial dredgers.
The Hauraki Gulf Alliance is currently running a petition to ban bottom trawling or scallop dredging in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. If this seems like appropriate action to you, consider signing the petition here: Haurakigulfalliance.nz/petition

New Zealand Sport Fishing Council reflects on the current state of our scallops

Andrew Johnson from the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council wrote a well considered letter to members on the issue of scallops for recreational fishing lobby group, Legasea. If you would would like to read his thoughts take a look at the article here: An opening of the scallop season, like no other.

Let's hope with good management healthy scallops like these return to menu for kiwis in the future.

Opinion piece leader the Spinoff weighs in

One of my favourite general topic opinion sites, The Spinoff features an excellent article by Ellie Martin, a former journalist who also works for Legasea.
Ellie's piece covers many of the issues scallop face plus historical efforts to restore beds in the Kaipara and near Nelson, the impacts of dredging and the various community initiatives to improve scallop bed health in their local areas.

Does Ellie see hope for the future? You'll have to read the article to find out: Scallop season starts today – too bad we’ve almost wiped out the species