Finding scallops

[Old Man Dave]

We've never had that one over here of if we have then I've forgotten.
Dave

[Huan]

Maybe guernsey doesn't have it in Scallops , It does in cockles though

[Naim]

Forgotten what?

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by Old Man Dave

Empty shells can mean scallops but it might just be that some one shucked their catch there.

Sorry to revive this old thread but I only just discovered it. Thought Old Man Dave's history of Guernsey scallop fishing was interesting & poignant. Seems like cod is currently on the way out with other fish soon to follow.

Just one comment on "empty shells" I thought I had seen several empty shells out diving one day and picked up a closed pair for a souvenier but eventually discarded it. It later struck me that the pair of shells were closed and could have been a living scallop. Talking with a diver friend later, he confirmed it probably was. Doh! (The reason I did not realise earlier was that I had been led to believe that scallops swim about by opening & closing their shells...I had not really expected to be able to just pick them up).

Anyway, I returned months later and again found some empty shells and again picked up a pair as souvenier, although this time an open pair & therefore clearly empty. Shortly afterward I noticed a shell & then found a closed clam and then another and then another... I put my souvenier open shells in the clam bag with the rest. When I came out and looked through the bag -- all shells were closed! The "empty" shell case must have been a living, feeding scallop...and many of the other "empty shells" that I passed by as old & empty were probably in fact living scallops! (Although there were a few empty shells for sure too). Moral of the story - take a second look at those empty shells.

Re. ASP, I have forgotten where it was now.

Old Man Dave, a question for you, as a professional fisherman, did you take steps to preserve fish/shellfish stocks? It may seem like an odd question but it seems like we are always on the brink of exterminating several species. Your scallop story really is quite worrying. I wonder if that mindset still exists? The recent EU cod quota of 21 tonnes for 2006 from a total stock of 40 tonnes -- suggests to me that it does. What happens when there are not enough cod left to fish -- cheap cod boats? exterminate another species? No doubt the growing world population will continue to increase demand on stocks .