Recreational Scallop season in Barnstable will open Sunday October 1, 2023. I am pleased to announce that there are some scallops out there this year, but it looks like a lot of them were a late seed set from last year, so as a reminder the regulation pertaining to keeping legal scallops is as follows:

No person shall land or possess scallops without a well-defined growth line and that growth line shall measure at least 10 millimeters from the hinge of the shell.  Exception: Bay Scallops that have a well-defined raised annual growth line located less than 10 millimeters (mm) from the hinge of the shell, shall be lawful to harvest and possess if the shell height is at least 63.5 millimeters or 2.5 inches.

These protections are put in place to allow the scallops an opportunity to spawn and create more scallops as they typically only live two years. 

Recreational Scalloping in Barnstable is allowed 7 days a week, with a weekly limit of 1 bushel (4 pecks). All other applicable scallop regulations can be found here: https://ecode360.com/6564664

The fine for more than 5% scallop seed in your total catch is $100 so be sure you are properly measuring your catch. 

Have a happy and sustainable scallop season!

Amy Croteau, Senior Natural Resource Officer/Shellfish Constable