Maylands extends definition of shellfish to include scallops

MARYLAND – Scallops are coming to the Bay! Senate Bill 303 states beginning July 1st, all ‘live bivalves and bivalve shells’ will be included in the shellfish definition.

Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources currently defines shellfish as ‘live oysters, seed oysters, oyster shells, live hard-shell clams, live soft-shell clams, and clam shells’, with this new expansion, this will also bring scallops into the mix. The Department says in the 1930s the bay scallop population almost disappeared.

Lee Beauchamp, owner of Bay Water Seafood– an agricultural farm that specializes in bay scallops, says this is a long time coming, and this helps out the entire area. “Maryland’s Comar was a little antiquated, and it was very specific to oysters and clams. and this bill is an update that allows us to be able to agriculture other species including bay scallops… It helps everybody because its going to allow other species to be brought into the agriculture operations in Maryland.”

He says the coast a perfect place to grow some of these species because of the salinity levels and fresh ocean water coming into the bay.