Bay Scallop Season Opens Saturday

Tampa Bay area residents hungry for freshly harvested bay scallops can take to local waters starting this Saturday to get their own.

The state’s bay scallop season officially kicks off June 27 and runs through Sept. 24. Recreational harvesters, however, need to play by the rules to ensure they don’t find themselves brushing up against the law.

Harvesters are required to have a Florida saltwater fishing license to harvest – even if they are scalloping from shore, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s website warns. While there’s no minimum size limit for scallops, harvesters are limited to 2 gallons of whole scallops in the shells or one pint of meat per person. The daily bag limit for a vessel is 10 gallons in the shell or a ½ gallon of meat.

Harvesters are also warned that harvesting is only permitted by hand, landing or dip net.

See Also:

• BUI Sweep Planned for Bay Area Waters

“Bay scallops may only be harvested in state waters from the Pasco-Hernando County line to the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County,” the state notes. “It is illegal to land scallops outside open harvest areas. For example, it would be legal to take scallops from waters off the Hernando County coast, but it would be illegal to dock your boat in Pasco County with the scallop catch onboard.”

As the bay scallop season kicks off, local law enforcement agencies are also taking part in Operation Dry Water. The three-day event is designed to crack down on those who boat impaired.

For more information about the bay scallop season, visit FWC online.

Photo from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission