Scallop beds ‘extensive’

Press, 12 September 1987, Page 18

Scallop beds ‘extensive’

PA Dunedin Research has shown queen scallop beds to be extensive, stretching from Banks Peninsula to the Auckland Islands, said the export manager of the Dunedin-based company, Skeggs Foods, Ltd, Mr Murray Tait The present catch was concentrated off the Otago coast Six vessels were working now, and two oyster boats from Bluff would probably be used as well, said Mr Tait. He expected the Dunedin plant to process between 70 and 100 tonnes of shell-

fish. Mr Tait said the expected catch had encouraged the firm to continue to experiment commercially. The catching and processing methods were new, with boats trawling for small scallops rather than traditional dredging. Trawling methods had been modified from those used overseas to suit the Otago coastal terrain. The initial overseas response to scallops has been good. “The flavour and texture of the cold water scallop are good, and we

are supplying the northern hemisphere when their catch is at a low ebb,” he said. “The more boats we have fishing, the more we can leam about the scallop. We are working closely with the Ministry of Fisheries on stock assessment The marketing representative of Skeggs Foods in Dunedin, Mr Michael Heath, said the scallops were selling well for a new product but there was an education process needed tp create awareness in the wholesale and retail trades.