Bay scallop season opens July 1

6/25/2012

Bay scallop season opens July 1



It's time, bay scallop harvesters! Get your snorkels, masks and dive flags ready.
The recreational bay scallop harvest season starts July 1.

The season is regularly open through Sept. 10, but at its June 28 meeting in Palm
Beach Gardens, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will
discuss extending the season by two weeks.

Bay scallops can be recreationally harvested in Gulf of Mexico state waters (shore
to nine nautical miles) from the Pasco-Hernando County line to the west bank of the
Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County.

Map of bay scallop harvest area

The recreational bag limit is two gallons of whole bay scallops or one pint of meat
per person, per day, with a vessel limit of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops or
one-half gallon of meat.

There is no commercial harvest for bay scallops in Florida state waters.

FWC officers will be working during scallop season to ensure that everyone has an
enjoyable, safe day on the water. To help boaters remain safe they must follow all
safety regulations<http://myfwc.com/boating/boating-regulations/>, including having
all necessary safety equipment onboard.

"With extra people on and in the water, it is especially important that divers and
snorkelers properly display a dive flag and boaters steer clear of those in the
water," said Col. Jim Brown, director of the FWC's Division of Law Enforcement.

For more information about bay scallop
season<http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/regulations/bay-scallops/>, visit
MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on "Saltwater," "Recreational Regulations" and "Bay
Scallops." To learn more about the June 27-28 Commission
meeting<http://myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/2012/june/27/june/>,
visit MyFWC.com/Commission.