Since fish are managed according to where they are found and how they are caught, it’s important to understand some of the critical elements about fish stocks and gear type used. Seafood for the Future provides a list of recommended sustainable seafood by species and simplified explanation about what’s important in the selection of each.

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Atlantic Sea Scallops

Placopecten magellanicus

Family: Pectinidae (scallops)

Common names: scallop, sea scallop

Do not confuse with:
No less than 26 other species can be legally marketed as scallops.  Atlantic scallop can also refer to Mimachlamys varia, a European species.
View the FDA list of legal market fish names.

SFF determination:
Atlantic sea scallops from the Northeastern US are supported based on NOAA Fisheries Service information. In particular, diver-harvested scallops are endorsed.

Primary Commercial Fishing Gear:

Dredges (New England)

Other Commercial Fishing Gear:

Bottom trawls (mid-Atlantic), diver-harvest

Geographic Range:

Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Newfoundland. Endorsed stocks originate in FAO area 21. View FAO fishing area map.

Fish Stock Sustainability Index (FSSI):

sssi:4
US stocks have a NOAA Fisheries Service score of 4.0 (maximum).

View the most current NMFS quarterly reports on US fish stocks.

Overfishing: NO

Fishing pressure does not exceed target levels.

Overfished: NO

Population biomass is not less than target levels.

Approaching Overfished Condition: NO

Populations are not in decline.

Estimated Biomass: 153%

Biomass expressed as a percentage of the estimated Biomass at Maximum Sustainable Yield (BMSY)
B/BMSY must be >80% to earn a maximum score of 4.0 on the National Marine Fishery Service’s FSSI report

Bycatch/Interactions:

Diver harvested scallops have no bycatch.

Dredges and trawls can have interactions with turtles and bottom fish. This gear also damages sea floor habitat. The Atlantic Sea Scallops Fisheries Management Plan includes measures to reduce bycatch and minimize habitat damage through gear modification and area closures. The dredge fishery has limited interactions with marine mammals and is listed as a Category III fishery (lowest) in the Federal Register.

Download the federal List of Fisheries, which reports interactions between fisheries and  marine mammals according to the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Managing Authority:

  • NEFMC (New England Fisheries Management Council), in cooperation with
  • MAFMC (Mid Atlantic Fisheries Management Council)

Life History Traits:

Atlantic sea scallops live up to 20 years, reaching sexual maturity after the age of 2. Females contribute millions of eggs at each spawning event.  They may spawn multiple times during the season, which lasts from late summer until the fall.

Commercial Season:

Varies by region.

Health Advisory:

None.

Seafood Advisory Consensus:

  • Blue Ocean Institute – Yellow (Score of 1.85/4.00)
  • Monterey Bay Seafood Watch – Good Alternative
  • Environmental Defense Fund – Eco-OK
  • Marine Stewardship Council – Imported Patagonian scallops 
  • WWF – no rating
  • SeaChoice – Yellow
  • New England Aquarium – not listed
  • Greenpeace – Red listed


A measurement of how the National Marine Fisheries Service assesses the sustainability of fish stock managed in domestic waters. A 4-point scale (4 being the most sustainable) that scores the size of the fish stock in relation to the amount of fishing. Not all fish stocks have an FSSI score.


Some fishing methods are harmful to whales and dolphins, turtles, seabirds, and non-targeted fish. Fishing gear may also damage fish habitat by dragging on the seafloor. Regional fisheries councils and state fisheries management authorities provide bycatch information and habitat damage so that we can recommend fish from the most sustainable fishing methods possible.


Fish that are managed under U.S. fisheries programs cover a wide geographic range and can be found from Maine to Guam, a distance that’s equivalent to a third of the way around the Earth. Some programs fall under state jurisdiction, while others are run by one of the regional fisheries management councils.