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SUSTAINABLE DISCO SCALLOPS DANCE THEIR WAY ONTO RESTAURANT MENUS

inable Disco Scallops dance their way onto restaurant menus

Sustainably caught Disco Scallops™ are on the menu after British marine scientists made the dazzling discovery that the shellfish can be caught using pots equipped with flashing LED lights – dubbed ‘scallop discos’.

And now renowned seafood chef Mitch Tonks, founder of the sustainable seafood restaurant group Rockfish, has added Disco Scallops to the menu at several of his restaurants as a seabed-friendly alternative to scallops caught by dredging.

“We’re incredibly excited about this brilliant innovation which offers a sustainable alternative to dredged scallops and also supports UK fishermen by helping them diversify,” said Tonks. “The scallops are high-quality, plump, sweet, and gorgeous. These really are the scallops of the future.”

In the UK, around 95%[1] of scallops are caught by dredging, a destructive fishing method that involves dragging heavy toothed metal sleds across the seabed. Pot-caught scallops, however, offer a low-impact alternative where the scallops simply swim, attracted by LED lights, into modified crab pots. Unlike towed scallop dredges, scallop pots are static and therefore aren’t destructive to marine habitats and species.

The discovery that scallops, which have 200 tiny eyes, could be caught in pots fitted with LED lights was made in 2022 by scientists from Fishtek Marine, a world leader in bycatch prevention technology.  It happened whilst trialling ‘PotLights’: small underwater lights used to ‘bait’ crab and lobster pots, which were invented by the Devon-based company to protect fish stocks by replacing the need to use fish to bait pots.

Working with Jon Ashworth, a fisherman based in Newlyn, Cornwall, Dr Rob Enever and his Fishtek Marine team discovered that the lights, combined with specially modified pots, were attracting unprecedented numbers of scallops in addition to the crabs and lobsters that Jon was targeting.

In the last two years, with funding from Natural England the UK government’s Seafood Innovation Fund, The Crown Estate, The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Fishmongers Company and the Devon Environment Fund, the Fishtek Marine team working alongside UK pot makers and colleagues from the University of Exeter perfected the pot design and ran extensive trials with fishermen throughout the country.

This has created a new low-impact inshore fishery which offers an alternative from damaging dredge-caught scallops. There are now over 40[2] boats using the technology to commercially catch Disco Scallops™ and

together with Fishtek Marine and restaurant entrepreneur Lee Cash, they have registered the brand and created the Disco Scallop Collective to market the sustainable shellfish and encourage more fishermen to access subsidised fishing gear.

Rachel Walker of The Disco Scallop Collective said: “By putting modified pots in the water, fishermen are being given a chance to diversify their catch and secure new income streams, while consumers gain access to a sustainable, seabed-safe scallops they can enjoy guilt-free. It’s exactly what environmentally conscious diners have been calling for: delicious seafood with a story they can stand behind.

“As awareness of Disco Scallops grows, the hope is that a ripple effect will extend across the UK. More crab and lobster fishermen will learn how they can diversify their existing catch, moving toward a more secure and balanced future for their livelihoods. More restaurants will join the movement toward responsible sourcing, making this ethical alternative the new standard.”

Dr Robert Enever said: “With rising fuel costs, post-Brexit regulatory changes, reduced catch and unstable prices the fishing industry is under strain.  We are also exploring new opportunities for catching scallops within offshore wind developments where dredging is restricted. For UK fishermen, pot caught Disco Scallops provide a vital opportunity to adapt and secure livelihoods, especially to diversify beyond crab and lobster fisheries that have faced increasing challenges in recent years.”

And the experience of fishermen has been overwhelmingly positive. Jon Hayes, a crab and lobster fisherman from St Mawes, Cornwall, has had great success with the gear. “They are working very well and in some I’ve had over 60 scallops out of one pot! You can’t get much better than that! They do seem to catch more in the winter, which is useful for people like me, a small fisherman.” He added: “Fishing really needs to change, it’s not about catching as much as you can, it’s about catching what you can sustainably. I’ve been really excited to be a part of catching scallops with pots. It feels like I’m part of the future really! It’s made my life feel a bit more worthwhile.”

Pete Kibel, co-founder and director of Fishtek Marine added: “This is a great example of how a technological innovation can deliver real and sustainable benefits for the marine environment and the communities that depend on the sea for their livelihoods.”

[1] In the UK, dredge caught European king scallops account for 95% of scallop landings (Cappell et al., 2018).

[2] Scotland:  Wick, Stornoway, Raasay, Mallaig, Buckie, Stonehaven, Mull, Port Ellen, Tayvallich and Dunure. Isle of Man. Yorkshire: Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington. South Coast, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset: Minehead, Littlehampton, Lyme Regis, Beer, Budleigh Salterton, Brixham, Paignton, Dartmouth, Salcombe, Plymouth, St Mawes, Plymouth and Helford.