Recreational scallop season underway

It's that time of year again - the scallop season is underway but the Ministry of Fisheries reminds scallop lovers to take only their entitlement and no more, 20 scallops per person per day.

Auckland district compliance manager Ian Bright said the season started today (July 15), and for most parts of the country it would run until February 14, with the exception of Southland and the Sub Antarctic where the season runs from October 1 to March 15.

"The recreational fishery is open to the public seven months of the year, and closed the rest of the year to give the beds a rest and to maximise the quality of scallops taken by allowing fishing only when scallops are at their bulkiest," Mr Bright said.

Scallop lovers are reminded the recreational size limit for all the North Island and most of the South Island fishery is 100mm.

The exceptions are in the southern scallop fishery (Golden Bay, Tasman Bay and the Marlborough Sounds) and in the Deep South (Southland and Sub-Antarctic).

In the southern fishery, where scallop numbers are enhanced by re-seeding, the recreational daily limit is 50 scallops per person and the minimum size is 90mm.

In Southland and the Sub Antarctic, where scallops grow larger than elsewhere, the bag limit is 10 scallops and the season is later - October 1 to March 15.

"Scallops are measured across the greatest diameter of the shell. Scallops, like all shellfish, must be landed in a measurable state - in the shell, and you can only take your daily limit, you cannot gather on behalf of other people," Mr Bright said.

For more information contact:

Alan Meek
Communications Manager
(04) 470 2643, (021) 822 588