The 2022 US scallop season opened on Friday, April 1st. Unfortunately, the storms offshore in New England prevented boats from going out until this week. The initial forecast for scallops seems to be in line with most of today’s proteins. Supply is down, demand is up, and prices are higher than ever. As stated in Bristol Seafood’s 2022 Scallop Market Factbook, The New England Fisheries Management Council expects a significant reduction in the harvest of US scallops, falling to 34 million in 2022, from 40 million in 2021, the lowest level since 2014.
The reduction in landings will create increased pressure on large scallops (U/8, U/10, U/14). After speaking to one of our New Bedford Scallop vendors, they are predicting U/10’s to be priced over $40 a pound! Pricing on smaller scallops (10/20, 20/30) will most likely remain close to where they are today. However, with the significant reduction in quota and the increase of labor needed to shuck smaller scallops, a higher price on shucked gallons is likely to follow.
Prices are subject to change
4/04/22
