BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION 1889 Part 4. Pages 323-328
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GIANT SCALLOP FISHERY OF MAINE.
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by man. There seems to be no doubt that a rich harvest awaits the man who first uses a form of apparatus that can be operated in almost any reasonable depth of water, say 100 fathoms.
In the oyster fisheries of the Chesapeake the need of such an apparatus has long been felt to compensate for the depletion of the inshore beds by making available new and productive grounds that can not be reached by the ordinary forms of apparatus,
Through the ingenuity of Mr. Charles L. Marsh, of Solomon's Island, Maryland, a simple device has been patented which makes it possible to take oysters in any depth of water. The apparatus is essentially similar to the ordinary tongs so commonly used, but is devoid of handles. The latter made it impossible to take oysters in a greater depth than 30 or 35 feet, and even with that depth the work is not devoid of much fatigue and unsatisfactory results. That a similar form of tongs, made on the same principle, can be advantageously employed in deep water in the scallop fishery there can be no doubt. Its advantage over the common dredge is as great as its superiority over the ordinary oyster tongs. Requiring the services of but one person, it can be operated from the side of a vessel by each member of the crew, and it can also be employed in small open boats carrying one or two men. The disadvantage of hav- ing to row and sail back and forth over the grounds is done away with; it is possible to locate the bed before unlocking the tongs, thus making sure of the catch; and although more costly it is more economical in the end, because requiring the services of fewer men and insuring greater results in a given time.
The experience of the U. S. Fish Commission has demonstrated that the beam. trawl is the most effective apparatus for the capture of scallops. By means of it many bushels have been. brought up at a single haul off the Massachusetts coast. It seems proper, therefore, to speak of it in this connection as a possible substitute for the smaller dredge on many portions of the coast of Maine.
In using the beam-trawl it would be necessary to work on smooth bottom, since rough, stony ground would tear the net. Fortunately the deep-water beds are believed to be generally on bottom that is suitable for operating the beam-trawl; at least many such areas have been found in the explorations of the Fish Commission.
The beam-trawl is somewhat more expensive than the dredge, but its effective- ness is believed to be vastly greater. Besides, a small trawl, with a 12 to 15 foot beam, can be operated with the same number of men that is needed for towing a dredge. A large sailboat could tow the trawl and, with the assistance of some sort of mechanical device to raise it (like a capstan, or the winch that is used by the drift- net fishermen of Great Britain), it could be easily managed by two men.
Small steam vessels or launches could probably be successfully employed in this fishery if the demand for scallops reaches proportions that call for the employment of additional capital and a material increase in the output. Their use would do much to economize time and to increase the catch while, of course, steam could be utilized to hoist the trawl.
For information concerning the beam-trawl, its manipulation, etc., the reader is referred to the exhaustive paper on the subject by Capt. J. W. Collins.*
"The beam-trawl fishery of Great Britain, with notes on beam-trawling in other countries, etc. Bulletin U. S, Fish Commission, Vol. VII, 1887.
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BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION.
D. THE USES OF THE GIANT SCALLOP.
14. THE FOOD VALUE OF THE SCALLOP.
Scallops in general have always been highly esteemed for their edible qualities,
and in many localities are regarded as among the choicest products of the water.
Although such a comparatively new article, the size of the giant scallop, as well as its flavor, has already secured for it a steady and growing demand, and it seems destined to maintain a prominent place in the estimation of the epicurean and the public. Un- fortunately, the usual retail prices are so high that the great mass of the people have never been permitted to partake of this luscious food.
As will be seen in the paragraph giving quotations of the wholesale prices of scallops in the Boston market, the Maine species appears to be regarded somewhat less favor- ably than the smaller mollusk taken in Rhode Island and the vicinity of Cape Cod.
Mr. James E. Benedict found that specimens secured in deep water off Cape Cod by the Albatross were not so delicately flavored as P. irradians, although he considered them very fine. He explained that these individuals were Wind together on the bottom in great crowded masses by the worm-tubes and boring sponges, so that growth, reproduction, and feeding were interfered with and the animals were unable to avail themselves of the function of swimming, the exercise of which would naturally have tended to improve their quality. The beds found in shoaler water are not so seriously affected by these parasites and shift from time to time, as has been shown.
The scallops are therefore of better quality.
Prof. W. U. Atwater, in an elaborate paper in the Report of the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries for 1883, on the chemical constituents of marine food products, gives tables showing the relative food value of fish, shell-fish, crusta- ceans, etc., as indicated by the percentage of protein, fats, carbo-hydrates, and min- eral matters which they contain. The protein compounds or albuminoids have a threefold function in the economy, to quote Professor Atwater : (1) They form the basis of blood, muscle, connective tissue, etc.; (2) they are transformed into fats and carbo-hydrates, and are stored as such in the body; (3) they are consumed for fuel.
The fats are (1) stored as fat and (2) cons .umed for fuel, and the carbo-hydrates (starches, sugars, etc.) are (1) transformed into fat and (2) consumed for fuel. Pro- tein, representing the essential portion of food, performing the functions in part of both fats and carbo-hydrates, in addition to forming the basis of blood, muscle, and other tissues, is to be taken as the standard in comparing the food values of different substances.
Reference to the following table, adapted from Atwater, showing the proportion of watery and solid constituents in all the common edible mollusks and the percentage of protein, fats, carbo-hydrates, and ash in the solids or nutrients, discloses the fact that scallops* surpass all of the other shell-fish in the total percentage of nutrients and in the proportion of protein. It is also somewhat interesting to observe that oysters rank last in the list. "
* The analysis is that of the small scallop (P. irradians), which can not differ materially from the giant scallop, for which no analyses are available.
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Table showing, by weight, the proportion of watery and nutrient constituents of certain mollusks.
[Adapted from Atwater.*]
constituents. Scallop* Oyster* Long clam. *Round Clam Mussel Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Per cent. Water . . .. ......... 80.3 87.3 85.9 86.2 84.2 Nutrients or solids 19.7 12.7 14.1 13.8 15.8 Protein ................. 14.7 6.0 8.5 6.6 8.7 Fat .................... 0.2 1.2 1.0 0.4 1.1 Carbo-hydrates......3.4 3.5 2.0 4.2 4.1 Minerals ...............1.4 2.0 2.6 2.6 1.9
See Report II. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1883, p. 443.
tEdible portion, i. e., adductor muscle.
f Shell contents.
End of table
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15. ON THE USE OF SCALLOPS FOR BAIT.
The bait question on the New England coast has ever been an important one, and of late years it has attracted the attention and demanded the consideration not only of those directly interested in the prosecution of the commercial fisheries, but also of the lawgivers and diplomats of the land. Whatever, therefore, may be done to call attention to possible new sources of supply, to be utilized in periods of scarcity of the regular bait products, seems worthy of presentation.
This preface brings us to a consideration of the use ot scallops as possible substi- tutes for or coequals with the soft clams (Mya arenar-ia) as bait in the hand-line and trawl fisheries. It may be said at the outset that experiments with scallops have not as yet been sufficiently complete or exhaustive to decide what their real value is or just how high a place they are destined to occupy in the estimation of the fishermen. Even if it be finally ascertained that they are inferior to clams, their possible utility should be remembered; and there will no doubt be times in the history of many fishing localities when a supply of fresh or salt scallop bait will not be wholly worthless.
One of the earliest specimens of giant scallops that reached the hands of the con- chologist was obtained from the stomach of a codfish.* Since then, scallops have been repeatedly found in the stomachs of cod and other marine species usually known under the general name of "ground fish." From this circumstance the suggestion no doubt arose of the probable value of the mollusk as a bait; it does not appear, however, that anything more than irregular or spasmodic attempts have been made to employ it, owing possibly to prejudice, but chiefly to a misapprehension of its value.
A strong reason for the use of the scallop for bait lies in the fact that the portion of the animal which can be so utilized is now considered valueless. As is well known, only the muscular portion of the meat is marketable for food, and the "skirts" or "rims" are regarded as a waste product by the fishermen and consequently thrown away. This waste is enormous, amounting in 1889 to not less than 30,000 gallons.
When it is considered that this figure represents above 1,500 barrels of salt bait, which could have been secured for but little more than the cost of the barrels and salt, the great actual loss to the fishermen may be appreciated, especially in view of the probable value and efficacy of this kind of bait.
* Under the name of P. fuscus, Linsley, in 1845, described this species of scallop from a specimen taken from the stomach of a cod caught at Stoniugton, Conn. Sae synonymy, in foot-uote, page 314, of this paper.
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332 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION.
A number of isolated trials with both fresh and salt scallops have come to the notice of the writer. The consensus of opinion seems to be that in a fresh condition they are quite as attractive as clams. When salted, however, there is a difference of sentiment, the burden of the testimony being that in the bank fisheries they are some- what inferior to clams, although until more conclusive experiments are made the mat- ter must be regarded as sub judice. The information received regarding the use of scallops in the shore fisheries is that they have proved fully as good as clams when given an impartial trial.
Mr. J. M. Vogell, of Castine, states that in 1887 a fisherman in that vicinity took 5 barrels of scallop bait on a trip, but he failed to make a satisfactory fare, and no one in that region has employed the mollusk since that time.
At Mount Desert Island, pickled scallops have been sparingly used on a number of occasions during recent years in the line fisheries and are reported to have given as good results as clams.
There seems to be no reason why the scallop fishermen, when shucking these bivalves, should not preserve that portion of the animal which is now discarded; fol- lowing the same method in curing it that is now pursued in the clam bait-fishery. At a comparatively small outlay for salt and barrels, and with practically no loss of time, what is believed to be a really valuable salt bait could be put on the market and the fishermen would be financially benefited to the extent of perhaps $5,000 or $7,000 annually.
16. UTILIZATION OF THE SHELLS.
The beauty of the scallop shells has secured for them a demand that is not as yet very extensive, but appears to be yearly increasing. They are in considerable favor with artists, who paint marine and other views on the smooth interior; and they are also employed in the making of pincushions and other similar ornaments. The chief market at the present time is Bar Harbor, where, in addition to the foregoing uses, the Indians and others fashion them into attractive baskets and other receptacles.
The shells have been more or less frequently used at restaurants and fashionable dinner parties where the search for the unique has suggested the substitution of this article for a plate in serving numerous fancy food-preparations. For this purpose they have been brought as far as Washington. Scallops have also been served in their own shells.
A homely use of the shells is mentioned by Captain Collins, who remembers that in the Penobscot region they were formerly sometimes employed in skimming milk, and they may still be used for that purpose.
The sales of shells at the present time do not amount to more than $100 annually; but it would doubtless be desirable for the fishermen in all localities to remember the economic value which these products have, and to endeavor to create a more regular demand that would no doubt contribute noticeably to the financial results of the fishery.
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E. PREPARATION OF PRODUCTS, MARKETS, ETC.
17. Handling the Catch, Shipments, etc
The scallops which are considered large enough for market range in diameter from
4 to 8 inches, averaging about 51 inches. Few individuals less than 4 inches are ever
utilized, the fishermen in most places, with commendable forethought, either return
ing them to the water when brought up in the dredge along with the larger specimens
or having the rings forming the bag of such size that the small ones pass through
unharmed.
From ninety to one hundred and ten scallops are usually required to fill a bushel measure. The largest specimens, perhaps, are secured around Mount Desert Island, while in the Sheepscot River they are relatively smaller.
In many localities a bushel of scallops, when shucked, will yield a gallon of meats. At Castine, Little Deer Isle, and Cape Rosier, however, about 1j bushels are usually required to shuck out a gallon of meats, and on the Sheepscot River about 2 bushels are considered as equivalent to a gallon. The weight of a gallon of meats is 9 to 9j pounds.
Practically the entire production of scallops is placed on the market in a shucked condition, the few sales in the shell being either local or to. fill special orders.
After returning from the fishing grounds the fishermen repair to some spot on the shore or to an outhouse, and there, assisted in some localities by the women and children of their families, open the scallops, retaining the thick, firm adductor muscle ("eye" or "heart," so called) and throwing away the mantles or 4' skirts," except in the few instances noted. The meats are placed in buckets, boxes, firkins, etc., holding from 1 to 20 gallons, and, when destined for more distant markets, are in a frozen condition or in cold storage during transportation. Shipments are commonly made by the fishermen themselves and not through the intervention of a local dealer. The scallops, except in rare instances, are sold on commission.
It seems worthy of remark that the practice of soaking the meats, which is so prevalent at certain places on the Massachusetts coast and elsewhere, is not followed, so far as known, in Maine. By immersing the meats of the small scallop (P. irradians) in water from ten to sixteen hours, they are greatly increased in bulk, and the result is that what was originally a gallon becomes 1 gallon and 3 quarts. It is evident that this is a profitable procedure. If for any reason, however, the sale of such meats is much delayed after reaching market and the surplus of water is lost by evaporation, the scallops are much inferior in quality to those that have not been so manipulated. It is said that the inception of soaking of Massachusetts scallops may be attributed to the fact that the meat of the Maine species is so much larger that it was almost closing the Boston market against the small but equally palatable Pecten irradians.
18. MARKETS.
Boston is now the principal market for scallops, receiving almost the entire output of certain centers. Smaller quantities are consigned to New York, Philadelphia, and numerous-towns in Maine, among which maybe mentioned Portland, Bangor, Augusta, and Belfast. When the shipping of scallops from Mount Desert Island first began,
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Page 334 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION.
practically the entire catch was sent to New York, but of late, owing to the close prox. imity of Boston and the creation of a more steady demand, the bulk of the yield has been shipped to that place during the colder months. During the open season at Bar Harbor and other fashionable resorts on the island, nearly all the scallops taken in that region find a ready local sale. The output of Little Deer Isle is mostly sent to Ifew York and Philadelphia. Boothbay and the other towns and settlements on or adjacent to the Sheepscot River receive a large part of the catch of that stream, the shipmentt to distant places being limited.
19.-PRICES.
Although the prices received for scallops at the beginning of the fisheries have not been maintained, they have not declined so materially as to prevent the profitable prosecution of the fishery at the present time; and it seems probable that with the growing demand for the mollusk the prices are not destined to reach any lower basis than the average for the past three years. ,
At the inception of the fishery, the scallop meats often sold for $2.50 or more per gallon. As the supply increased the prices dropped and at times have reached the low figure of 25 cents per gallon. The average value to the fishermen during the years 1887-'89 was between 50 and 75 cents, although not infrequently $1 and $1.25 have been obtained. w
The prices naturally vary with the supply and the demand and the state of pres- ervation in which the scallops reach market.
Mr. F. F. Dimick, the secretary of the Boston Fish Bureau, states that there has been little if any variation in the average prices of Maine scallops in the Boston fish market in the past two or three years, during which time the wholesale value ranged from 50 cents to $1.25 per gallon.
Regarding the relative value of the giant scallop and the small species taken in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Mr. Dimick finds that in Boston the Rhode Island stock is the most highly esteemed, while the scallops from Cape Cod rank next, fol lowed by the Maine species. The ruling prices received by the fishermen for the Rhode Island goods are from 75 cents to $1 per gallon, and by the wholesale mer- chants from $1 to $1.50. The scallops from Cape Cod bring 50 cents to $1 at first hands and 75 cents to $1.25 at wholesale.
F. STATISTICS OF THE FISHERY.
20. Table of persors employed.
Locality.........................................1887.....1888..........1889.
Mount Desert....................................4...........7...............7
Tremont..........................................84..........23.............16
Little Deer Isle.................................26..........42.............44
Sedgwick.......................................................2...............2
CapeRosier.....................................31..........31.............36
Castine...........................................36..........22.............28
Sheepscot River .............................33..........48.............64
Total..............................................164.........175...........197